Syracuse defensive tackle Louis Gachelin always had the desire to be great. One doesn’t have to look far to see where that desire came from.

Growing up in a household with six brothers and a sister tends to make a person competitive. Three of those brothers also played football, only feeding his desire to compete.

Last season, his passion began to show on the field. He led the team with 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss. Those numbers earned him second-team All-Big East honors.

Now, as a fifth-year senior, Gachelin’s potential has again shown. He has three sacks, which ties for the team lead with fellow senior Josh Thomas. His six tackles for a loss ranks second behind Rich Scanlon.

On Saturday, Gachelin will return to his old stomping grounds – Miami – his birthplace, and the city that bred his athletic talent. The Orangemen play Miami at the Orange Bowl at 12 p.m.

‘Louis came in with a real keen desire and a lot of want to, to be a great football player,’ Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni said. ‘He came in as a defensive end and had to learn the techniques and fundamentals that we use in our defense. He’s been making really steady progress in that development and has had a willingness to get better everyday.’

It’s easy to see where Gachelin and his brothers got their talent. Nearly everyone in the family played sports. His mother, Maggie, played soccer and ran track in high school. His father, Frank, played college football at Army. His uncle, Francis, played football at Miami from 1991-92. Athletes surrounded Gachelin during his childhood.

Gachelin and his brothers, James and Elvis Dumervil, played together in high school at Miami Jackson High. James came to Syracuse with Gachelin, but transferred to Tennessee State after last season. Elvis, a sophomore, plays defensive tackle at Louisville, which beat the Orangemen, 30-20, on Sept. 13. Another brother, Curry Burns, graduated from Louisville last year before the Houston Texans drafted him in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.

John Harris, who coached Gachelin, James and Elvis at Miami Jackson, remembers the talented trio well. He also recalls the competitive atmosphere that the three brothers created for one another.

‘All of them were something special,’ Harris said. ‘All three were young and eager to learn. There was always competition for who was going to play and who would get the most tackles.’

Said Gachelin: ‘When they did well it kind of got me pumped up. I’d say, ‘he did this this week so I’ve got to do that next week.’ There’s just a lot of competition going on in our family. They keep on my feet and prevent me from becoming complacent.’

It’s been an adjustment for Gachelin not having James at SU this season. The two have been together since 2000, when Gachelin was a redshirt freshman and James was serving his redshirt year.

James decided to leave SU because he didn’t get as much playing time as he would have liked and didn’t feel like he’d get the chance to play. Gachelin said James moved on to Tennessee State because he felt he could contribute more at a Division I-AA level.

James has done exactly that, playing middle linebacker and breaking a Tigers single-game record with 16 tackles in an Oct. 11, 27-23, win over Tennessee Tech. James also earned Ohio Valley Conference newcomer of the week honors for that performance. Because he didn’t transfer to a I-A school he didn’t have to sit out this year.

‘It’s taken a lot of getting used to,’ Gachelin said. ‘It’s kind of lonely up here now. I wasn’t as homesick with him here. It’s kind of an empty feeling now.

‘As a brother you want to see your brother do well. I would have liked to see him stay, but I’m happy he moved on and is doing well.’

Gachelin had no reason to feel homesick during the game against Louisville. Even without James, 40 family members traveled from Miami to the Carrier Dome to see Gachelin and Elvis square off. In the SU loss, Gachelin recorded three tackles, while Elvis recorded two, including one for a loss.

With Elvis’ Cardinals getting the best of the matchup, Gachelin knows he’ll hear about it when he returns home. Since last week’s announcement that the Cardinals will join the Big East, Syracuse will have another shot at Louisville in 2005. Even though Gachelin will be gone, Elvis will be a senior. Gachelin said it’s an easy choice who to root for.

‘It was rough because he has the bragging rights now,’ Gachelin said. ‘I can’t talk about it in the house when he’s in the same room. It’s point blank who I’m going to root for – I’m going to root for Syracuse. That’s gonna be my alma mater. Of course, I’m going to root for him to do well against Syracuse, but I’d want Syracuse to win.’

With only a few games remaining until the end of Gachelin’s college career, he hopes that he can carry on his family’s rich athletic tradition and play in the NFL. Harris believes he can do it. Since Gachelin has arrived at SU, he has improved drastically, moving from defensive end to tackle and taking athletic potential and turning it into success.

Gachelin said he’s always been a better pass rusher, but he has improved as a run stopper. He’s also gotten better at handling double teams. If the NFL doesn’t work out, Gachelin said he will pursue a career in the information technology field, an area in which he earned his degree last year.

‘There’s no doubt he could play in the NFL,’ Harris said. ‘I’ve seen guys with less potential play in the NFL. It’s not always the best guys; it’s a question of desire, which he has.’

That shouldn’t be a problem for Gachelin. Desire and athletic success runs in his family blood.

Published on November 11, 2003 at 12:00 pm