Laurent (Lou) DesLauriers was a football star with the UBC Thunderbirds long before he was a star in the CFL. The breakout two-way player began his stellar career in 1980 with UBC where he was a consistent four-year starter in a variety of positions on both sides of the ball. Throughout the ’80 and ’81 seasons, DesLauriers played defensive halfback before playing his first season as a receiver in 1982 when his coaching staff saw potential for the offence in his speed and quick hands. That year, DesLauriers helped his team to a Vanier Cup championship with a perfect 12-0 record; the 1982 Thunderbirds are considered by many to be the greatest team in CIAU history with five first-round CFL Draft picks, 14 League All-Star members and 12 CFL players. In 2003, the team was inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame.
In that season, DesLaurier set four school records: most punt returns in a season with 719, most punt returns in a game with 170, most kickoff returns in a game with 215, and the longest ever kick-return TD at 107 yards. He earned himself a Canada West First All-Star selection for his efforts, and picked up another nod the following season in 1983 when he was moved back to defence. That year year, he earned national recognition with a CIAU All-Canadian Team selection. He was drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos in 1984 and was named a CFL All-Canadian, earned a Western All-Star selection and was Edmonton’s nomination for Most Outstanding Canadian. He did not play in the 1987 season due to injuries, and returned to play in 1988 for one final season with the Toronto Argonauts before injuries caused him to retire. After football, he went to teach and coach at his old high school, St. Thomas More Colleagiate. He would then move on to coach at SFU and UBC and at Lord Tweedsmuir. He was inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 as a player.
