By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
In 1994 I met Josh Booty when he was state Player of the Year as the quarterback at Evangel Christian. I never thought then that some 30 years later I would be writing about his twin boys, who currently play football for Evangel.
I am honored and glad to be able to write about these twin brothers, quarterback Peyton Fulghum and wide receiver Parker Fulghum, both Class of 2024 players who have started for Evangel since their freshman seasons.
I saw this pair play in person in 2021 at a game against Dutchtown and came away really impressed with the ability of both.
It’s not every day you see kids whose parents are Josh Booty (Major League Baseball’s Florida Marlins, LSU and NFL’s Cleveland Brown and Oakland Raiders) and Sara, a former LSU Golden Girl and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
Today we feature quarterback Peyton Fulghum.
I am impressed with his maturity, strong arm and toughness for such a young quarterback. I think 2024 will be his year to become a big-time quarterback and put it all together.
I was able to ask his dad what he thought of Peyton right now as a QB.
“The kid is tough as they come. He has taken so many darn hits and bounces back like no other player I’ve seen,” said Booty. “A real throw-back player in my opinion. He has the gift of resiliency and a positive attitude under all circumstances. He wants to take on the world and reminds me too much of myself.
“He can throw it with ease, the ball comes out with a ton of velocity, and he is really working on getting quicker with his release and refining his footwork to be able to be more efficient on all throws and be more accurate with greater timing. He runs better than people know and can run through you. I’ve seen lots of improvement in last few weeks on film and in games I was at.
“He knows what he has to do to get to where he wants to go as a player. It’s the little things. As a leader, no one is better than him. He makes everyone around him better and a believer which is half the battle at that quarterback position. No quit in that boy. Dad’s comparison right now — a raw version of Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma, not his talent yet but body type and raw game right now.”
Peyton knows how fortunate he is to be playing at Evangel.
“To me being a quarterback at Evangel Christian is such an honor,” said Fulghum. “It’s home to the best of the best and to have a chance to play and perform on the same stage as all the greats is truly a blessing. At Evangel, QB’s are held to another level, but Pastor (and coach) Denny (Duron), he obviously knows what he’s talking about. He’s the most proven QB coach in high school football history in my opinion, so I just come out every day like a sponge thanking God for another day to get coached by the man.
“To me it’s super cool that my dad played in the NFL and MLB. It’s cool to find out what he knows and a blessing to learn from him. My mom was the best of the best at her craft being a Golden Girl and a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader — it doesn’t get any better than that.
“I have learned my work ethic from my mom,” said Fulghum. “She’s the hardest worker I know. What I have learned most from my dad is how important all the little things are in my football and baseball career. The right footwork, timing, reads, things like that.
“My brother, that’s my best friend for life. We are definitely locked in. I feel like with God’s help we can accomplish simply whatever we put our mind to. The sky’s the limit.
“What I like about football is the game aspect and just competing. We have always been overly competitive our whole life, and to get to compete every week is the best feeling. I also love the platform it has given me to encourage others and help others out as much as I can and spread the love of God: that’s the real reason I love football.
“I also play baseball. I have received district MVP, all-city and all-state honors. It’s so cool knowing that our whole family is great in football. Both my grandpas on my mom’s side played football at McNeese State down in Lake Charles, and grandpa on my dad’s side played for Mississippi State.
“I am currently 6-2, 200 pounds. I need to work on the little things, staying in the same arm slot every single time and having neat and quick footwork. Everyone can throw nowadays; it’s all about who can do it the quickest, and that’s why everyday Pastor Denny never fails to shave off just a tenth of a second.
“I’d love to share about my new offensive coordinator Kramer Hagen from the west coast. He’s a talented quarterback who played for Mouse Davis in college, perfecting the run-and-shoot, which has a lot to do with what we are running now, and I love it. I think he was a great add to the staff and team, and I’m beyond blessed to learn from him every day. Most importantly he’s a great dad and husband; I look up to him for that reason most.
“My family is very important to me. Both my uncle John David Booty, ‘JD,’ (played football at USC) and Uncle Abram (played at LSU and Valdosta State), a wide receiver, are my favorite people on earth. JD is definitely my favorite to watch, and he played and was very successful at my dream school.
“General Booty, my cousin playing quarterback for Oklahoma, is one of my best friends. We talk every day so it’s cool hearing about his lifestyle on a day-to-day basis and hearing about what his coaches are like and how different big-time college football is from high school. I’ll always look up to General, not only because he’s a great ball player but also because he had to take the hard route to junior college first.
“It means a lot when my dad comes and watches me play; I love having him here.
“My favorite colleges right now are USC (dream school), Alabama, Baylor and Florida.”
HOT OFF THE PRESS, QUICKLY ON YOUR SCREEN: For previews of every Louisiana high school and college football team, info on the state’s top senior prospects, and more, you can order the 2022 Louisiana Football Magazine at LaFootballMagazine.com – offering North Louisiana and South Louisiana editions, printed or digital. Magazines are shipping now.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
