NEW IBERIA, LA (KLFY) – When Danny Lewis inked his national letter of intent to play at Alabama, he made history.

He is the first Westgate football player to join the Crimson Tide.

The tight end is used to making history though. He helped the Tigers to their first state title ever in 2021.

The chase for championships is a big reason why he is headed to Tuscaloosa.

“Final thing that put them to the top was that I could be the first from my high school and New Iberia to have a shot for a national championship,” Lewis says.

“That’s what Danny wanted to do,” Westgate head coach Ryan Antoine says. “He wanted to win championships. And he felt like Alabama put him in the best position to win those championships. He’s a state champion, state championship MVP. And he always wants to be around that. And he wanted to compete against the best every single day. He bet on himself. That’s something that we’re definitely proud of him for. He prayed about it with him and his family. We’re glad that he felt like he made the right choice.”

Alabama is known for recruiting the very best, and Westgate head coach Ryan Antoine believes Lewis fits that mold.

“You’re getting the best tight end in the country in Danny Lewis,” Antoine says. “You’re getting a kid who’s never had a chance to focus on just playing football. Now that he has the opportunity to focus on that, you’re getting a 6’5, 250 pound kid that can play everywhere and can move and can block and do everything. Coach Saban and Coach O’Brien and Coach Pete Golding did an amazing job of recruiting him, and they saw something in him that other schools didn’t.”

One glance at Nick Saban’s long list of accomplishments as head coach, and it’s no wonder why Lewis saw so much promise in committing to the Tide.

Saban has seven national championships, the most in college football history.

“Me and Coach Saban have a really great relationship,” Lewis says. “He took out a lot of time to come visit me and just clear me up on anything I wasn’t sure about. The thing that ultimately led me to Alabama was that I would be coached by the greatest coach in college. So it’s just a no-brainer if you think about it.

Even months away from the season, a lot of eyes are on the Alabama-LSU matchup, which will feature two former Westgate Tigers going head to head.

Alabama tight end Danny Lewis against LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.

“It’s gonna be very fun,” Lewis says. “I’m looking forward to it.”