At the end of Broadview Drive in Erath sits Big John’s Seafood. In the corner of the restaurant, sits a painting of the town’s finest.
“It was going up for auction at a cake bingo, and I’m not a cake bingo person," Wendy Stoute, owner of Big John's Seafood said. "I knew I wanted to go to this cake bingo because I had to have this painting.”
The painting is a design of San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell.
He's a native of Erath, a star at Louisiana, but most importantly someone who means a lot his community.
“The star of the football team took the time to spend time with my grandson and encourage him," Stoute said. "We love Elijah he means something special to us.”
Though this painting is one of a kind, it’s not the only one of Elijah.
His elementary school teacher has the first sketch, and even back then she knew he’d be a star.
A star that will soon play in Super Bowl LVIII.
“I messaged him," Blanchette said. "I wanted him to know that I’m so proud. I’m so happy. I’ll be watching him and cheering him on.”
So you may wonder, who is the artist behind these works of art?
Jerome Puyau brushed his way into cajun country from New Orleans and graduated from UL.
He became the superintendent in Vermilion Parish, and drew closer to the neighborhood.
“I fell in love with the culture, the people, the faith community," Puyau said. "It’s second to none here in Erath.”
Outside of his love for Erath, he grew an admiration of the running back’s character, and it inspired him to depict Mitchell’s heart on a canvas.
"He’s a symbol of what we’re about," Puyau said. "Elijah’s living a dream. I attempted to capture a moment that could be relived.”
When the 49ers take the field against Kansas City on Sunday, the town of Erath will draw closer to their television watching the kid who’s always been as priceless as these paintings worth a thousand words.
“It’s phenomenal that someone from Erath made it to the NFL," Puyau said. "Not only did he make it, he made it to the Super Bowl. Now, the next step is to win it.”
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