Eddie Rawls is known for his deep affection for his neighborhood in Broussard and the wonderful people there. He decorates his house and yard for every holiday to delight his youngest daughter and bring joy to the entire neighborhood.
On the anniversary of his stepbrother Russell Achord’s death, Rawls decorates with American flags and a fireman’s helmet. This isn’t just any helmet; it represents Achord, who served as the fire chief for West Feliciana Parish. During the ice storm in 2017, Achord demonstrated his bravery by helping the driver of an 18-wheeler that had overturned due to the icy conditions. After rescuing the driver, as they were walking to safety, a truck pulling a trailer slid down an icy hill and pinned Achord between that vehicle and the fire truck. The flags that Rawls displays honor his brother’s life and heroism.
Achord was a National Fire Fighters Association member, with honors in Baton Rouge and national recognition in Washington, DC. He was the first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) to become certified in Louisiana for Anthrax Protection.
Rawls was born in Baton Rouge. When he was a year old, he and his family—father Glenn (now deceased), mother Patricia, and older sister Michelle—moved to Corpus Christie, Texas. His younger brother, Glenn, was born while they lived in Texas.
Glenn was diagnosed with leukemia when he was just six months old and went into remission at the age of ten. During his treatment, Glenn was often hospitalized, which meant that Rawls and Michelle were frequently sent to Louisiana to stay with family. Their parents, Glenn Sr. and Patricia, cared for the younger Glenn while Rawls and Michelle were away. Through this experience, Rawls learned the importance of selflessness, understanding that his brother needed their parents’ attention during such a challenging time.
Rawls reflected on his childhood in the 1970s and early 1980s, recalling his pain as he witnessed people’s fear of being around Glenn. They were worried that they might “catch” cancer simply by being near him. Rawls remembers going to grocery stores with Glenn and observing people leave the aisle they were in to avoid contact.
After their parents divorced, he and his siblings moved to St. Francisville, Louisiana, with their mother. He loved being surrounded by family and community.
He played football, baseball, soccer, tennis, and track in St. Francisville. He received letters in all tracks and scholarships to various universities. He was a running back and ranked in Top 5 in state as running back in high school. He blew out his knee, and the universities dropped him.
Coach Nelson Stokely persuaded Rawls to attend and play at the University of Southwest University (USL), now named the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL-L). Rawls was a running back at USL when Jake Delchomme, who went pro, was the quarterback. Stokely’s son, Brandson, also went pro and played with Rawls while at USL.
Rawls has lived in the Lafayette area since 1991. He graduated from USL in 1996 with a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in History.
After graduating from USL, Rawls started his career as an educator at Our Lady of Fatima in Lafayette. He also worked as a student teacher at Cecelia High School. During the summers, he gained retail experience at CVS and Walgreens, eventually moving into management. He then took a break from teaching to focus on this new career path.
After a while in retail, he returned to teaching at Acadiana Middle School for two years before returning to retail as a district manager for Dollar General. He then became a district manager for Take 5 Carwash and now is a district manager for Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts.
His hobbies include watching and playing all sports. He loves playing tennis and pickleball. He also coached girls, aged 5 to 8, in soccer for five years.
Aside from his holiday decorations, he also hosts movie nights in his driveway, inviting all the neighbors to attend. One of his latest things for the neighborhood children is sidewalk chalk art.
Rawls is married to Shannon and is the proud father of four daughters: Jenna, Lea, Destiny, and Addison; stepdaughter Kristin; and stepson, Chase.
