Moreau's faith carried him through cancer treatments

By Ron Brocato
Clarion Herald

I have looked up to Foster Moreau from the first time we shared a few words on the sideline of a Jesuit football game.

I have to. Standing 6-foot-4, Moreau’s head crests nearly a half-foot over mine.

So, when he stopped before me on his way to the field for one of many Catholic League encounters, I was somewhat surprised and humored when he solicited my humble opinion: “Any advice for me?”

My ad lib response was something like, “Just catch the ball, block and trust your teammates.”

He’s been doing that quite well, not only as a receiver-blocker for the 2014 State Division I champion Blue Jays but also as an All-SEC player at LSU before becoming an NFL player in 2019.

Moreau doesn’t remember our brief encounter, but that’s to be expected from a young man who has been through the joys and trials of adulthood.

As the latest addition to the New Orleans Saints’ roster as a four-year veteran tight end, signed on May 10, Moreau spends his mornings at the Saints’ compound with several of his new teammates, preparing for a three-week camp that began on May 23. One is the familiar face of his former quarterback with the Las Vegas Raiders, Derek Carr.

But workouts are hardly routine for this 250-pound, 26-year-old. Nearly three months ago, having been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma through a routine physical examination by the Saints’ medical team, Moreau began to ponder his future. But through targeted treatments and constant monitoring, he has avoided chemo and radiation to rid himself of this non-aggressive form of cancer.

And he has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal that included a guaranteed $8 million with an additional $3 million in incentives. Best of all, he’s home again.

After hearing the initial diagnosis, Moreau turned to his Catholic faith and medical specialists to guide his tenuous future. It seems to have worked well.

“I’ve had two biopsies within the past five weeks, so lifting (weights) was kind of difficult, especially with an open wound,” he said. “Just about the only thing I could do was run, just trying to maintain some form of shape. For most athletes, our best form of medicine is sweat.”

A strong Catholic faith
And, having grown up in the parishes of St. Dominic and St. Pius X, his Catholic upbringing guided his faith through the unknown path he was about to take.

“I used to ask, ‘Why for this, why for that?’” Moreau said. “For anyone who’s trying to be spiritual and asking questions, you have to be willing to try to learn the answers. You can’t just ask questions.”

He didn’t pray for his own healing. It was more than that. And his faith played a key role in the treatment and recovery process when he stopped asking “why.”

“I prayed, but I didn’t ask for freedom from my weaknesses, and I didn’t ask for my cancer to be gone,” Moreau said. “I only truly prayed for strength, knowing I could get through this process on God’s testament and my own strength. That was the only way I could choose to look at it.”

Moreau has always faced challenges as head-on as making a well-delivered block.

His football career began as a 5-year-old (he believes)  Lakeview Viking. Jesuit was always in the cards as his high school.

“That was the only school my mom let me think about,” he said.

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, 14-year-old Foster, his parents and his three sisters relocated to Baton Rouge, where he attended St. Aloysius Elementary School.

“I liked Baton Rouge,” Moreau said. “I thought I was going to finish at St. Aloysius and then go to Catholic High, where my friends were going.”

But the family home in Lakeview was repaired, and the Moreau family was on its way home.

“I was like, ‘Oh, Mom wants me to go to Jesuit,’ and I was upset by the thoughts of wearing those khaki uniforms and the name tags and all the nonsense that I’ve grown to appreciate,” he said. “It was an interesting time.”

Moreau was certainly an asset to the athletic department. He was a vital cog in the Blue Jays’ winning the 2014 select Division I football championship via a 17-14 victory over John Curtis. The title was Jesuit’s first since 1960, and Foster finished the season with 34 receptions for 434 yards and his prep career with 87 catches for 1,210 yards and 15 scores. He followed that with a stellar performance as a center on the basketball team, averaging 13 points and 13 rebounds per game.

Originally planning to join fellow Blue Jay, quarterback Tanner Lee, at Tulane where his mother, Tricia, was a volleyball letter-winner in 1984 and 1985, Foster was lured toward “Tigertown” by former LSU head coach Les Miles.

“He asked me to ‘yellow shirt,’ and when the first scholarship became available, it would be mine,” he said.

Moreau made an impact, not only during a career in which he developed into an outstanding pass receiver but also in the eyes of his teammates. They chose him as team captain and bestowed on him the prestigious No. 18 jersey, passed down by its original wearer, quarterback Matt Mauck, who led LSU to the NCAA championship in 2003, its first since 1958.

That jersey symbolizes for LSU players the epitome of determination and achievement.

Moreau exuded that same impression with NFL scouts in the 2019 Senior Bowl. The Los Angeles Raiders selected him as the 137th pick in the fourth round. He was the third Tiger to be drafted behind linebacker Devin White (No. 5 in the first round) and cornerback Greedy Williams (No. 46 in Round 2).

He signed a deal reportedly worth $3 million, including a $499,484 bonus. Four years and 91 receptions later, Moreau became a free agent, a situation he’s uncomfortable to verbalize.

When he returns to full health, Moreau will give the Saints a much-needed tight end who is more than a capable pass receiver. And, there is no place he’d rather be than wearing the black-and-gold in his hometown.

“I don’t know of anything better than being part of the ‘Who Dat Nation,’” Moreau said. “It’s hard to quantify, but these guys here care. It’s deep, it’s passionate. And the fans are avid. I have been part of great crowds for many years, so I can speak first hand. It’s electrifying.”

Now he just has to get his body in NFL shape.

“I was so blessed to come through this,” Moreau said. “I’m done with treatments, and I feel healthy. I’m excited to be in New Orleans, and I plan to play this game many, many more years.”

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