Growing up as a kid, Houston Bates loved the game of football. He has fond memories of going to Tiger Stadium with his parents as a youngster and watching the LSU Tigers play under the lights.

"I first became a fan when I was young because my parents always took me to games growing up in Baton Rouge," Houston said.

He attended all the festivities that take place before the games in Baton Rouge and learned to toss around the football with his father Stuart at a very young age.

Like so many young Louisiana children, Houston went to sleep at night dreaming of one day playing football for the LSU Tigers.

With purple and gold running through his veins, Houston promised himself and his father that one day he would play football at LSU.

On Wednesday, that dream became a reality, as he committed to play his college football for head coach Les Miles and the LSU Tigers.

But the road to achieving his lifelong dream was far from an easy one.

Houston lost his father as a young teenager, when Stuart lost his battle with leukemia. Just entering his adolescence, Houston was crushed. At times, he couldn't sleep at night and he would think back to the days in his childhood when he would throw the football with his dad before the LSU games in Baton Rouge.

As Houston struggled to get through this difficult period in his life, he turned to football to ease the pain.

He began working out with strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester, hoping that one day he would be able to fulfill the promise he had made to himself and his dad of one day playing college football at LSU.

He used it as motivation in the heat of summer workouts when other guys eased up. He uses it on the field every game as he blows by opposing lineman to sack the quarterback.

Each hit, each tackle and each sack brought Houston one step closer to his dream and a little bit closer to the man he looked up to so much as a kid.

Playing for St. Paul's High School, in Covington, Louisiana, Houston quickly became a standout player. His work ethic and drive stood out above everyone else.

"He has an incredible motor," St. Paul's Coach Ken Sears said.

Schools began to take notice. Coaches from Tulsa, SMU and Louisiana Tech began calling. While it was a start, Houston knew he wanted more, so he held off and continued to work hard.

Last week, he got the news he had waited for his entire life. LSU head coach Les Miles extended him a scholarship offer to play college football for the Tigers.

Bates didn't take long to accept the scholarship offer that fulfilled a lifelong dream for him.

"He [Miles] offered me last week at the LSU camp, but he said to go home and talk with my parents. But there wasn't anywhere else once LSU offered."

So Houston accepted the offer and will proudly wear the purple and gold next season, representing his hard work, his school and his father.

Coming from a small school like St. Paul's, Bates' accomplishments are even more impressive. The school hasn't produced an SEC player in years, and for Houston to make it to the highest level of college football speaks volumes for his work ethic and his heart.

He looks at the opportunity as a chance to represent his high school on a much bigger platform.

"It feels good coming from St. Paul's because a lot of these guys look up to me and know how hard I work," Houston said. "Hopefully I can show them that if you work hard great things can happen."

He also feels that his support system has played a huge part in getting him where he is today.

"I couldn't have gotten here without my mom, my stepdad and my coaches at St. Paul's. Going to LSU, I'll be playing in front of all my friends and it's a great opportunity to get to represent them and have them support me on the next level," he said.

"But I couldn't have done any of this without my dad, Stuart, who passed away a few years ago, because I promised him I would do it for him. Now that I have accomplished it [playing for LSU], I know he's proud."

Somewhere, Stuart is looking down on his son and smiling. His son will be playing football for the LSU Tigers.

The Tigers couldn't have gotten a player with a bigger heart.

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