Saul Hernandez was an ordinary high school senior.  He played soccer for Lafayette High School and earned decent grades.  The 18 year old half back went on to graduate with 3.0 grade point average.  Like many kids his age, the next logical step was to go to college so Saul enrolled at LSU in 1997 to study General Studies.  The party scene in college was very attractive to Saul and eventually became a foundation for drug use.  At 19 years old, Saul unfortunately flunked out of college and returned with a horrid drug abuse problem. 

In an altered state of mind, Saul found himself at the lowest point in his life, on the dispatching end of an armed robbery. At 19 years old, with a knife in hand, Saul asked a cashier at Super One Foods to empty the register.  The cashier did as he asked and Saul fled the scene.  At the time of the incident, the authorities had no leads.  The next day Saul brought the money to Bank One where he attempted to change the dollar bills he retrieved from the robbery into large denomination bills.  When questioned at the bank as to why he had so many dollar bills, Saul turned and walked out of the bank.  Video surveillance cameras monitored and recorded Saul’s license plate and began the search.  When the authorities went to Saul’s house for questioning, he had already begun his journey on the road to Colorado.  Saul’s father, a local physician, asked his son to turn himself in and be responsible for his actions.  Saul did as his father asked and joined his mother, father and family attorney to meet with the authorities. As Saul was being booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, he saw a man getting into a brand new corvette convertible and experienced a moment of clarity.  As the man drove off with the wind blowing through his hair, Saul recalls the thought of freedom and how wonderful it was yet his own freedom was being taken away.  Saul reflected on where is life was and knew he had to make a change. 

With the support of his family, he apologized for his wrong doings and pleaded for the courts to show mercy on him.  The District Attorney was extremely stringent but the sincerity in Saul request encouraged him to allow Saul to prove himself.  Saul did not take that opportunity lightly; he immediately checked himself into a rehabilitation program in Shreveport and was later cleared by the judge to attend a program in Arizona. 

In 9 months, Saul successfully completed his program and came home to Lafayette.  The District Attorney had Saul take a drug test before issuing the plea bargain.  Because Saul kept his word and was indeed attempting to better his life, the charges were reduced to felony theft of 500.00 which constituted a penalty of 5 years of probation. 

With Saul’s newfound lease on life, he joined the Ragin’ Cajun Amateur Boxing Club.  The first time he met his coach, Saul earned the name “Super Saul”.  Beau started to notice that Saul would get a little embarrassed every time he would call him by his new nickname but had no idea why.  Saul then told Beau his story and the coach was speechlesss.  This charming, talented young man that sat before him was the most amazing transformation he had ever seen.  Beau vowed to do everything he could to help Saul stay on the right path.  Saul was still transforming himself into “something”.  Saul enrolled at the University of Southwestern University in one of the most challenging fields of study offered, mechanical engineering.  Saul continued to train at the club and learned, what he claims was, “the most important thing he had ever learned-----never give up, don’t quit.” 

Although he was winning all his fights during his first six months, he stated that he never felt that he was very talented in the ring.   Saul thought that he just didn’t have what soke of the other guys had but he tried real hard and never quit.  He loved going to the gym because of the camaraderie.  He’d “hang out” at the gym for hours just to have the support and conversation of his newfound family.   

When he first started, Saul lacked self confidence but in a short time, with the support of his coach and gym family, the gym lessons began to spill into the classroom.  Saul began calculus with a fearless ambition to work hard and do what it took to make an “A”.  Saul’s confidence was intensifying as he continued to train and compete which allowed him to enter the classroom with the determination of a seasoned fighter.  “I’m not afraid to ask questions,” he thought.  Saul did ask questions and completed his daunting goal by finishing his class with an A. This went on throughout his college career as he excelled and went on to graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering earning a 3.8 grade point average.  During his tenure, Saul was also the Team Captain on the BAJA senior design project.  The project entailed designing and building an off-road vehicle for two forms of competition, theoretical and dynamic.  The BAJA vehicle competed in the American Society of Engineers’ collegiate design competition. More than 100 universities from across the country and abroad competed in the annual event. Saul’s team won first place in the nation in the theoretical portion of the competition and a remarkable 22^nd in the dynamic segment.

Saul says that anytime he begins to struggle in life, he just goes back to the values he learned at the gym.  He always knew that he was going to be something.  He did indeed become something; he became an INSPRATION… not only to the members of the Ragin’ Cajun Amateur boxing club, but to everyone who hears his story.  Saul has more fans than he’ll ever know.