Honoring Local Royalty: Naming of stadium will continue Patrick Queen’s legacy in home parish
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Guy Mistretta believed the occasion was befitting of such an individual.
For three years, Mistretta coached Queen during his career at Livonia High School, the launch pad of a career that carried him to a national championship at LSU. Queen’s currently in his sixth season in the NFL and second with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Queen previously had his No. 8 jersey retired by Livonia High, but the Pointe Coupee School Board took honoring the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker to a different level. Queen, who was joined by his parents Dwayne and Mary Sue, when the board named the STEM Academy Magnet’s football field Patrick Queen Stadium during a ceremony on Wednesday that drew former coaches, including Ed Oregeron.
“You start naming stuff, that’s a big deal,” said Mistretta, now the coach at Dutchtown. “It takes a guy like Pat. He’s a role model. He was a leader when he was there, and he’s dedicated to that parish. He loves where he’s from, and that’s always going to be home for him. He’s the type of guy you want to have an honor like this.”
Queen’s career has taken him away from his home parish, starring at LSU before he was a first-round draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens and now a starting linebacker with Pittsburgh. But the native of Pointe Coupee – born in the town of Ventress with less than 1,500 people – remains a constant in Livonia and New Roads with his philanthropic endeavors.
He owns property in the parish, began a literacy program (Level Up) at his former elementary school, and five months ago opened All Pro Fishing and Tackle in New Roads.
“They see him around town,” Livonia football coach Khalil Thomas said. “He comes back to his community, where kids can see him train. His dad knows everyone and is a big factor in who he’s become. He’s stopped to pour into the kids and pour into me and talks to us. He just gave his knowledge and experience from his point of view. You’ve got to appreciate the whole family.
“Patrick’s a big fisherman, he’s on the water at home,” Thomas said. “The community was buzzing when he opened his store. He’s full circle in everything. He has property here, a business, he trains here. It’s where the kids can see him.”
With Pittsburgh (3-1) enjoying an open date, the 6-foot, 232-pound Queen was able to join the festivities on the field of the renovated stadium.
“Something like this, I guess, from being from a small place, I just don’t really dream of something this big,” Queen said. “You play it because you love it. Seeing this moment, I just hope it’s motivation for the kids coming up to know that they can do that, too.”
The facility at STEM Academy hadn’t been used since Pointe Coupee Central High was closed after the 2013-14 school year. Renovations have included resodding the natural grass playing field, new bleachers, scoreboard and sound system.
Thomas said with numerous middle schools in the parish, the stadium will be able to host games as well as games for Livonia High games, a 25-30-minute drive away. Soccer’s another sport that will benefit from such an attractive facility.
“It’s an adjustment,” said Thomas, who already has an on-campus field, but could possibly play all of its games next season at the new stadium. “We played our spring game there, and it was a cool atmosphere. We’re almost a 50-50 split with the numbers (students) from both campuses. For the STEM school, they like getting to play there, and the Livonia kids like getting to play in a stadium. It doesn’t matter to us. They could put the ball down in the parking lot, and the kids are going to play.”
Thomas is a year older than Queen and played against him in the New Roads youth leagues.
He went on to play running back for Hall of Fame coach Dale Weiner at Catholic High and kept up with Queen, who went on to star at Livonia, first for head coach David Brewerton and then Mistretta, both of whom were in attendance at the ceremony.
Thomas is now in his second season as head coach of Livonia and found himself at the table with fellow stakeholders when the discussion of further honoring Queen became a central topic.
“It’s a cool experience to be with a team of people that made his event happen,” Thomas said. “We wanted to let him know how much we valued and appreciated him. He has a house in New Roads, a business in New Roads and started a literacy foundation at his old elementary school. Not only are these guys getting to see him on Sundays, but they see him throughout the summer in the way he carries and represents himself and gives back.”
Thomas felt compelled to find another avenue to pay tribute to Queen when his retired jersey No. 8 was still in use.
“We were talking about the people who represent us athletically, and there was one name that jumped off the page,” he said. “He’s making it happen on and off the field. They retired his number a couple of years ago, but have still allowed people to play under it. I didn’t think he got the value he truly deserved and had to find a way to let him know we truly appreciate it.”
Queen played special teams at Livonia in his freshman season and was part of a Class 3A state runner-up team under Brewerton in 2013. He enjoyed a more expanded role a year later under Mistretta, serving as the team’s primary ball carrier in the Wildcats’ run to the Class 3A state championship, 43-14, over Amite.
He evolved into a two-way standout, earning first-team Class 4A All-State honors with 1,487 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior, and was a two-way all-state selection at running back and linebacker (66 tackles, 7 TFLs, 6 passes broken up) as a senior. The Wildcats reached the regional round of the Class 4A state playoffs in Queen’s final two seasons.
“He had those natural leadership instincts,” said Mistretta, 176-71 in 22 seasons. “When he made first team all-state on both sides of the ball, he’s the only one I’ve coached like that. He was all over the field. Just as important was that he was a leader both in action and vocally.”
Queen was a four-star recruit with a wide appeal to college recruiters. Texas A&M liked him as a safety, but after a talk with Queen’s father, Mistretta believed he was equally adept at playing either running back or linebacker.
LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, now the head coach at Baylor, had an affinity for Queen as a linebacker.
“He came in the spring of Patrick’s junior year,” Mistretta said of Aranda. “He had no doubt he was going to be a good player for us.”
Queen realized a childhood dream of playing for LSU and Orgeron, where his path to the field resembled that of his start at Livonia.
He was an active member of the Tigers’ special teams units, catching the eye of coaches with his passion for covering kicks and making tackles.
Queen started in four of 13 games his sophomore year, and it was his performance in an SEC game against Alabama that may have announced his arrival. With the Tigers losing the services of All-American linebacker Devin White for the first half because of a targeting penalty in his previous game, Queen started and piled up nine tackles and a sack.
He would also lead the team with nine tackles, two TFLs, and a sack for a 22-yard loss in the team’s Fiesta Bowl win over Central Florida.
That set the stage for a breakout junior season in 2019 when LSU captured the imagination of the collegiate football world with its dizzying offense under Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow and top-flight receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson that went 15-0.
Queen started in 11 of the 15 games and was third on the team with a career-high 85 tackles. He also had 12 ½ tackles for loss and three sacks. He turned in a stellar performance in the ninth week of the season in a 46-41 road win over Alabama with seven tackles and an interception.
With so many indelible images from the National Championship game in a 42-24 win over Clemson in the Superdome, Queen clearly shined and was named the game’s MVP with 8 tackles and 2 ½ TFLs.
“It showed off his athletic ability so much,” Mistretta said of Queen’s play against Alabama and Clemson. “I knew he was going to be a dude for them on defense that year. He just exploded in games with Alabama and Clemson. He made some terrific plays on (running back) Travis Etienne in the national championship game.”
Queen, the owner of 131 tackles, 17.5 TFLs, and four sacks, decided to forgo his senior season at LSU and was the 28th overall selection of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 NFL Draft.
“I never thought anything about the NFL,” said Mistretta, who also coached NFL players La’El Collins and Jeremy Hill at Redemptorist. “There’s still so much developing to do, especially in the SEC. No one’s prepared for the SEC when they first get there, or very few. He made his impact early on playing special teams. You knew he had the skill set to play at that level.”
Queen had 106 tackles, the first of four career 100-plus tackle seasons, in his rookie season with the Ravens, where he never missed a game in four seasons. His best season was in 2023 with 133 stops, 3 ½ sacks, six passes defensed, and an interception – earning the first of his two Pro Bowl honors. He was also a second-team All-Pro selection.
He opted to enter free agency and landed a three-year contract with Pittsburgh worth $41 million.
“It’s got to be a linebacker’s dream to be in that division,” Mistretta said of the AFC North. “I’m really proud of him.”
Queen led Pittsburgh with 129 tackles in ’24 – the most by a Steeler since 1994 – and was once again named to the NFL’s Pro Bowl roster. He added seven passes defensed, six tackles for loss, and forced two fumbles – making him the only player in the league with such a stat line.
He entered this season ranked the No. 75 player among the NFL’s Top 100 in a vote by the league’s players, and in four starts, has 35 tackles to push his career numbers to 618 tackles, 15 ½ sacks, 24 passes defensed, four interceptions, and seven forced fumbles.
Queen’s never missed a start in 88 career games.
“It’s crazy knowing now that kids will be able to come on this field and see my name,” Queen said. “It’s crazy, just growing up in this parish, seeing the football players before me really motivated me to play better. Now I’ll just be able to be one of the faces kids that the kids look up to now.”
Both Mistretta and Thomas believe there was no one more worthy of such an honor than Queen.
“If you’re going to pick somebody, you’re going to pick a good citizen and role model,” Mistretta said. “He’s someone I believe will always be connected to that parish. He’s not going anywhere while he’s going places. I’m excited for him.”
Thomas agreed.
“You can’t think of anyone more deserving,” he said. “He represents this community every step of the way and is humble and hard-working. As a football coach, who else would you rather influence your players?”