Cam Serigne had just turned 11 years old when Hurricane Katrina hit. His parents, David and Michelle, had recently moved their family to South Riding, Virginia, about 30 miles northwest of Washington D.C. Most of Serigne’s relatives lived in Louisiana and had to evacuate when the storm hit. There was only one place to go that was not ravaged by the storm — Serigne’s new home.

“All my relatives on both sides, just moved to Virginia, after Katrina,” Serigne said. “12-15 family members moved to live with me for a year.”

The Serignes were originally from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and after the storm wrecked the state for eight days, only one of his extended families had a house to live in.

Following the tragedy, Serigne’s family created a special bond with everyone living in his house that translated to the rest of his life, including his football career. As a redshirt junior tight end for Wake Forest (4-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast), Serigne has 11 catches for 131 yards on the season. The Demon Deacons host Syracuse (2-3, 0-1) on Saturday at 7 p.m. Entering this season, Serigne ranked third all-time among Wake Forest tight ends in receptions (100) and receiving yards (1,093), and first in touchdowns (nine).

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Serigne was just in middle school at the time and had a younger brother, Jacob. Their cousins, the Campagnas, moved in with them for the year.

David and Michelle Serigne now had six young boys running around.

“For Cam it was fun,” David Serigne said. “To be able to help them and live with his cousins. It might’ve been hectic at times, but whenever you can help someone and be there, it’s worth it.”

That year, Serigne bonded with his cousins in a way that they might never have.

Serigne witnessed his parents help their cousins start their life over again. They relied on each other and built each other up.

“Obviously there’s stressful moments because of what they’re going through,” David Serigne said. “It’s such a life-changing event, losing your home and thinking that you might not be going back. We were just glad we could be there for him.”

In the year following Katrina, Serigne’s cousins roamed the sidelines, cheering on their big cousin and having a better view to see what he could do.

“My little cousins lost everything,” Serigne said. “And to see them be happy again to come watch me play football meant everything to me.”

When the Campagnas got back on their feet and found a new home in Virginia, it was an adjustment for Serigne. For the past year he had his cousins with him all the time in full house.

When they left, it felt empty.

“They had been with us for so long,” David Serigne said.

As time continued and Serigne moved to the collegiate stage, the support from his family shined even brighter.

In his first game as a freshman for Wake Forest in 2014, Serigne traveled back to Louisiana to compete against the University of Louisiana-Monroe. In the stands watching him were 35 family members. Joining his parents and brother were aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and everyone that had been there for him for so long.

“My first catch, my first college start, to look to my family after that was really special,” Serigne said.

Serigne has had a family member at every single game that he has ever played. From his first days of playing Pop Warner to now being the third all-time leading receiver for a tight end in Wake Forest history, he has always had someone.

His cousins make the five-hour drive for Wake Forest home games to cheer him on. Michelle Serigne has never missed a game, home or away. And David Serigne has only missed one, the Florida State game last year, because of a work commitment. They fly to every game.

“Seeing him suit up and the way he competes and takes care of himself,” David Serigne said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Every week he gets a call from his cousins. They talk about their lives, what they have been up to, and about Wake Forest football.

Published on October 8, 2016 at 6:05 pm

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu