Q: How has being the son of a rugby coach affected the way you look at the game? 

Xavier Mignot: I started playing rugby when I was 8. I had practiced two other sports before and then decided to play rugby because why not? My dad was involved in a rugby team, so it was easier. Then things progressed with rugby. It was difficult because I started professional rugby in Bourgoin-Jallieu, and they used to have a strong top 14 team about 20 years ago. The club went downhill because of a financial situation, and they were in the third division. I studied professional rugby then at 18, and my dad was the head coach, so it was a little bit difficult. In the first year, we played on Fédérale 1 and then moved up to the second division, and my dad was still the head coach. After that season, I decided to move because it was hard. I wanted to try to make a change with a top 14 team, so I decided to move to FC Grenoble. It was hard to balance him being my coach and dad. We would always debrief after each game about what he thought, rugby in general, and we would just have a lot of debates about rugby on the phone or in person, and still now. 

Q: What’s your approach to finishing in the try zone when you have limited space?  

Xavier Mignot: It depends. Most of the time, if a lot of people are around you, you have to get lower to target the opponents’ hits, so I just try to think strategically and win as many meters as possible. 

Q: Your younger brother plays rugby for the France national sevens team. What do you think is the biggest training difference between playing 7s and 15s? 

Xavier Mignot: It’s the same sport, but in my opinion it’s really not. 7s players are intense athletes. They have to sprint for 40 minutes, so their physical toughness is high compared to 15s, which is not quite as fast. In 7s, you must keep playing, and you can’t stop, whereas in 15s, you get breaks. Also, in 7s, there are fewer players, so there is a lot of space to take control of. In terms of training, I think they are tougher on running for longevity in the game. 

Q: What made you want to become a pilot? 

Xavier Mignot: This is a good question! I have always dreamt about it, but I never had the chance to do it, and I never really thought I could just go take lessons. Three years ago, I met a guy who is now my friend, and he told me about how he had a small plane and was a pilot. I was basically like oh, I’m crazy about planes. It would be a dream to fly next to you, so he said I will take you with me the next time I go anywhere. He told me he passed his license exam at 50, so he asked, ” What are you waiting for? He gave me the number of an instructor, so that’s how it all started. In the first lesson, I knew it was what I wanted to do. 

Q: You scored early in the last match against RFC Los Angeles. Can you run us through that gameplay? 

Xavier Mignot: Well, I didn’t have to think too much once I successfully intercepted the ball. I just held onto the ball, ran as fast as possible, and scored the try. 

Q: As I’m sure you’re learning, New Orleans is a big melting pot of culture. Historically, there was a lot of French influence. In what ways do you see that French influence the most? 

Xavier Mignot: I met many French people here, but I would say culturally, they’re very different. I do see a lot of French flags here, though! If I dig a little bit deeper, and as time goes on I’ll notice more of the French influence. My kids are all at Lycée Français, and they have French teachers, which also helps. 

Q: Growing up in Bourgoin-Jallieu, France, what was the culture surrounding rugby like?

Xavier Mignot: The main sport in the city growing up was rugby. It’s a small city with only around 30,000 inhabitants. It’s between two bigger cities, Lyon and Grenoble, so rugby has always been a huge thing in our city. Everybody would go to the stadium every Saturday or Sunday to watch the matches, and there used to be a huge rugby culture when I was a kid. 

Q: What’s been the most memorable moment in your rugby career so far, and why? 

Xavier Mignot: I would say there are two big moments. The first was when I won the European Championship with the France U20s. No other French U20s team had won the Six Nations and the Grand Slam (“Grand Chelem”). We were the first team to win the championship and the Grand Slam. The second memorable moment was when we won with Lyon, my rugby team in France, when we won the European Challenge Cup.

Q: How was your time visiting LSU’s facilities and speaking with the kinesiology department? 

Xavier Mignot: It was such a great time. I enjoyed speaking with them and learning about what they do. It was also cool to learn how the university works because it’s so different from the school system in France. I also had the chance to see the football facilities, and they were so huge – it was insane. I can’t believe how big the stadium was, and it’s not even for the NFL. As a sports fan in general, because I’m crazy about all sports, it was a great experience. 

Q: What are your strengths as a player?

Xavier Mignot: I am powerful, I would say. I like to carry the ball, be a defender, and win the advantage line. I like my defense to connect with my teammates to defend and make tackles against whoever is our opponent.