Five Locals Who Made It Big From Lafayette & Acadiana

Cupid was one of the hardest working self promoters on the street before 'Cupid Shuffle' put him into the playlist of every DJ across the country, from weddings to clubs. Not satisfied with one hit song, he's been busy recording followups including 'Love Slide' and '3-6-9' which was featured on the soundtrack to 'Step Up 2 the Streets'. One of the nicest fellas in the game, he's got no problems talking to fans, taking pictures and making special appearances.

This former Miss USA contestant who hails from Breaux Bridge took her fame to a new level after being selected to appear in a Superbowl ad for Doritos. Ali holds the distinction of being the first former Miss Louisiana Teen USA to win the Miss Louisiana USA title. Over the years, she's been named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine. You may have seen her home on MTV Cribs, or maybe saw her in one of the more extreme game shows, Fear Factor.

I remember way back in the early 90's DJ'ing at Pete's on the Strip, and having a young USL quarterback come in with his teammates after the home games and request 'Body Count'. Little did I know then that after a very successful career with the Ragin Cajuns he would go on to wear a New Orleans Saints jersey and play in the Superbowl as a Carolina Panther against a young Tom Brady and New England Patriots in what Sports Illustrated writer Peter King called "The Greatest Superbowl of All Time" before moving on to the Cleveland Browns. Jake is one of those guys that you can sit back and say, he hasn't changed. He still has a house in the Breaux Bridge area, and spends time with his kids at a local tennis workshop.

Although Hollis was born in Chicago, Illinois, he'll always be a part of the family as a graduate of USL, and someone who brought quite a few NCAA championships in track and field. At one point, Hollis was ranked number one in the world (in 1991) by winning the IAFF World Indoor Championships in Athletics in Spain with an American indoor record of 7'-10 1/2". Hollis is now one of America's leading motivational and inspirational speakers, and achieving the rank he did being 6 feet tall, it's not hard to believe he can motivate you as well.

A native and resident of Carencro, Marc Broussard gained national exposure when his 2007 album S.O.S.: Save Our Soul hit the charts on the Billboard Top 200. He's performed on the stages of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, The Late Show with Conan O'Brien, Larry King Live, Lopez Tonight and more. His song 'Must Be the Water' was the theme song for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. As a resident of Louisiana, Marc was affected by the tragedy of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. All the proceeds from his 2005 cd Bootleg to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Katrina went to rebuilding efforts in Louisiana.