Toughness a given for CM’s two-way star Traore
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or every football coach and player, discipline — in some form or fashion — plays a critical role. But maybe with Boubacar Traore, that trait means a little something more. The junior defensive end and tight end from Catholic Memorial displayed almost superhuman control during Fall II. That’s because a large portion of the season happened during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
So while Traore was participating in his significant school and football responsibilities, he was not eating or drinking during the day. That’s how focused Traore was, and it says a little something about his ability to put mind over matter.
“I was so impressed by that,” said his coach at Catholic Memorial, John DiBiaso. “When I found out he was doing that ... He’s going through games and he can’t drink. That’s tough. He never came out. He played all four games for us on both sides of the ball. He never begged or said, ‘Coach, I need a break. Coach, I need this.’ I was just so impressed by that.”
“It was very difficult,” Traore said. “Playing through games without drinking water, without eating anything prior to the game was frustrating, but once you’re committed, you’ve got to do it.”
Indeed, once Traore sets his mind to something, it sticks. But in addition to his mental strength, he is also physically imposing. When he was a freshman, Traore was around 6-foot-2, 215 pounds. Now he has grown to 6-4 1/2, 255 pounds. What sets Traore apart is he maintained his superior athleticism for that size.
“Definitely explosive, and I’m very physical,” Traore said when asked about his top attributes. “That’s one thing in this game you have to be, is physical.”
“He’s very explosive,” DiBiaso said. “He’s tough on top of it. He’s got a little nasty streak to him on the field. Not off the field — he’s a perfect gentleman — but on the field.” Those skills have set him apart in the recruiting world, and he has already committed to play for Boston College.
“As soon as (college coaches) see him, they say ‘He’s got an offer. He’s got an offer from us. We really want him,’ ‘’ DiBiaso said. “They project him as a guy who can come in and play right away. He’s somebody who can dominate the defensive side of the ball like they’re all looking for, even the pros. They look for that guy that can come off the edge and pressure the passer and do what he can do, because he’s so athletic. He’s a big kid who is athletic.”
BC was a natural fit for Traore. “One major thing that I liked was definitely the coaches (at BC),” Traore said. “Definitely, another major point was that my parents always, they want me to stay close to home. So whatever to make them proud. BC, the coaches, the atmosphere, it’s close to home.”
It was no big surprise that Traore would eventually be a big-time recruit. His older brother, Badara, went from Matignon to junior college to LSU and is now in the NFL. Badara is currently around 6-7, 330, so the Catholic Memorial coaches knew that growth spurt for Boubacar was right around the corner.
Badara had good advice for his younger brother.
“Always keep working,” Traore said of his older brother’s wisdom. “Don’t ever stop, and make sure to be on your stuff. Stay good in school. Make sure you’re working out every day. Make sure you eat good food, not any other bad stuff. (He taught me) basically how to succeed in football.”
Traore has applied his discipline to the main goal for CM.
“Win a state title,” he said. “That’s it.”