Twas the night before Christmas, when all through da house not a creature was stirring, not even a nutria rat.
The stockings were hung by the goalposts with care, in hopes that St. Canada soon would be there.
The players were nestled all snug in dey beds, while visions of the Citrus Bowl danced in their heads.
And mamma in her kerchief and I in my cap, had just settled in for a long nap.
When outside the practice facility there arose such a clatter, I jumped out of my bed to see what all dat noise was.
I ran like Guice to the window and opened up dem blinds in a flash.
The moon shined bright on Tiger Stadium and gave off the lustre of five-star recruits.
When what to my eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight T-boys!
With a little old driver, so lively and quick I knew it must be St. Canada
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came, and he whistled, shouted, and called them by name.
“On Derrius! Now, Charkl! Now Etling and Gage! On Greedy! On Lawrence! On Drake and Moore! On top of the front porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky.
So up to the Ponderosa they flew, with a sleigh full of plays, and St. Canada too.
He was dressed all in purple, from his head to his foot, and all his clothes were covered with ashes and soot.
A package of pass plays he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes – how dey twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose red like a crawfish!
His little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and his chin was as clean as a kick from Connor Culp.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk and laying his finger aside of his nose gave a nod, and up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Louisiana Saturday Night!