If you don’t know him by face, you surely know him by voice if you’ve been in the stands of Tiger Stadium regularly on Friday nights in Boutte.
Jason Robicheaux is a big part of that experience. Robicheaux has been the voice of the Hahnville Tigers since 2002, closing in on 25 years behind the press box microphone as Hahnville’s public address announcer.
For longtime fans, he provides a comfort; for newer ones, he’s something of a tour guide, introducing you to the players making an impact on the field. He’s narrated some of the biggest moments in Tiger history.
“I was just talking with my grandson, and I said, ‘Man, you realize I went to this school 50 years ago?’” said Robicheaux, a proud HHS alumnus, “We enjoy it. I have my family around me, helping out with everything on the front end. It’s all a lot of fun for me.”
Robicheaux started on the call in 2002, one season prior to one of Hahnville’s all-time great teams and seasons: the undefeated 2003 Hahnville squad that captured the Class 5A state championship with a 41-35 victory over Evangel in the state championship game.
That team was coached by Lou Valdin and featured stars like Darius Reynaud, who rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns in that title game. In Robicheaux’s first year on the call, Hahnville also had LaRon Landry patrolling on defense. Both players would go on to the NFL.
“They had some really good players and teams coming through,” said Robicheaux. “Those games, those athletes the community produced, and the ones the state produced, and you got to call their names out there on the field.”
His brother Kevin was an assistant coach with the football team as well as the school’s girls basketball head coach. Meanwhile, Willie Wise was Robicheaux’s junior high coach, and the then-athletic director asked Kevin if his brother might be interested in calling the action on Fridays.
“I was helping out the team before I started announcing. I had some free time, and I wanted to help out my brother. I tried it out and here we are 24 years later,” said Robicheaux. “I’ve enjoyed it.”
The irony of it was Robicheaux never considered himself much of a public speaker.
“I’m not,” Robicheaux said, noting even today it’s not his specialty. “But you never want to say no to a challenge. I almost don’t want to say challenge, but it’s not something I felt I was natural at. But it was like, hey, have some fun with this. Willie asked Kevin and I didn’t want to back out of an opportunity. The third PA announcer for the Hahnville football program, so it honestly was an honor.
“In those days, they had the horns and speakers on top of the press box. The parish definitely stepped it up since then,” he added with a laugh. “It’s a fun gig.”
While he’s been a constant for the fans, the fans have likewise been a constant for him.
“Through the really good years, and through some lean years, it doesn’t really matter because you always have those great fans out there. And they’re still there,” Robicheaux said. “The fan support is a memorable part of all of this. Seeing those grandkids and great grandkids out there, generations who are coming up throughout the years. They’re all proud of their home team.”
Among the number one things he aims at when he takes to the press box is to stay neutral and create a positive experience for both fans of the Tigers and the visitors alike.
“This past Friday, of course, was one of many I’ve called between Hahnville and Destrehan,” said Robicheaux. “I think you’re trying to draw the energy out of your crowd of course, but you don’t want to overdo it and get carried away in the excitement of the game.
“You have fans on both sides, Hahnville, Destrehan, or whoever it is on a Friday night, and they’re all out there and proud of their kids. You want to provide a good environment for both sides, when those kids and those coaches are doing everything they can to put a good product on the field.”
