How did LSU football's Paris Shand end up in Baton Rouge? He was open to trying something new.

LSU running back Caden Durham (29) speeds away from the line as offensive lineman Bo Bordelon (67) blocks defensive end Paris Shand (0) at practice on Saturday, August 17, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The word used to describe his upbringing was "open." Open to traveling the world.

Open to trying new things. Open to having different experiences. "I've always been encouraged to try and do different things," Shand said.

Shand is a senior edge rusher for , an expected key contributor in first-year coordinator Blake Baker's defense when the Tigers kick off their season Sunday in Las Vegas against Southern Cal. But unlike many of his teammates, Shand didn't grow up in the bayou. He wasn't even raised in a country where football is king.

Instead, he got to where he is because he was willing to try something new. How else does a soccer goalkeeper and basketball player from Toronto become a Southeastern Conference defensive lineman in less than a decade? "This world is so, so fast, and we get into a spot where we just live a life where you can just stay in one spot ..

. you've got to see people and different people to really understand what's going on in the world, right?" Kevin Shand, Paris' father, said. "So that's always been my motivation, in terms of just .

.. keeping an open mind always.

" Paris never followed his dad around during his playing career. Truth be told, he doesn't remember much about his father's time in professional basketball. Kevin was a 6-foot-10 center who pla.