From being kicked out of eight schools to becoming the #1 high school football recruit in America, Malachi Dupre’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
In this episode of Local Legends, Jonathan Forstall sits down with former LSU Tiger, NFL wide receiver, entrepreneur, and New Orleans native Malachi Dupre for an honest conversation about perseverance, pressure, and finding purpose beyond football. Today, Malachi has traded the field for the table as the co-founder of Kenji Kazoku, bringing the same passion, discipline, and teamwork that fueled his football career into New Orleans’ culinary scene. Be sure to follow the restaurant on Instagram at @kenjikazoku
Malachi opens up about growing up in New Orleans, struggling in traditional classrooms, Hurricane Katrina, discovering his passion at John Curtis Christian School, becoming a five-star recruit, choosing LSU over powerhouse programs across the country, and the immense pressure that came with being one of the nation’s top prospects.
This conversation goes far beyond football. It’s about resilience, self-belief, leadership, family, identity, and learning how life’s biggest setbacks can become the foundation for future success.
If you’re an athlete, parent, coach, student, or simply someone who loves inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
In this episode:
- Malachi’s incredible story of being expelled from eight schools
- Growing up in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina
- How John Curtis Christian School changed his life
- Becoming the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the country
- Choosing LSU over Alabama, Florida State, UCLA, and other top programs
- The pressure of living up to five-star expectations
- Lessons learned from Coach J.T. Curtis and Nick Saban
- Family, mindset, discipline, and life after football
