Any Baton Rouge sports fan can identify Jordy Culotta’s voice over the radio. He hosts Culotta and The Fan with Hunt Palmer on weekday mornings and sets the stage for LSU football with his pre-game and post-game shows. But what they may not know is that Jordy is a tenacious worker and loving father who dedicates himself wholeheartedly to both his career and fatherhood. Jordy is driven by his love for sports, his desire for success, and his devotion to his son, Jordan. Though his schedule demands a great deal of his attention, Jordy reserves his best moments for being a father. Behind the microphone is a focused and determined man who wants to be the best example for his son that he can be.
What time is your alarm set for?
4:15 a.m. I’m on the air at 7 a.m.
If your life were a song, which song would it be?
“Tighten Up” by the Black Keys. It’s more the title of it than the lyrics. It helps keep me focused to keep striving and keep working.
Three things you always have with you?
St. Joseph’s medal on a chain because my son’s middle name is Joseph; a fava bean my grandfather gave me for good luck and prosperity; and my phone.
How would your friends describe you?
Absent. Work has taken over much of my life and being a parent takes the rest of my time.
Most recent proud parenting moment?
A compliment from my son’s teacher that he uses his manners.
How do you keep it all balanced?
Faith. My faith is something that I need to continue to work on. I want to be more spiritual, but I feel very dependent on my faith to keep me balanced.
Greatest thing about being a dad?
Him. He’s my world. The best thing is watching him grow up, develop, struggle, and succeed. I love being a father, his disciplinarian, and being able to be an example for him.
What do you wish you had more time for?
I would like more time to spend with my son, Jordan. We are together every weekend, and Wednesday nights. His mom and I have open communication about spending time with him. The common ground that we share is the best thing in our lives.
What good habit do you have that you would like to pass on to your son?
Work ethic. I became more focused around 2008-09 on my career, and I worked my way into what I wanted to do.
Any bad habits you would not want to pass on?
A temper or negativity. I want him to work through adversity and keep a positive mindset.
Hardest thing about being a single dad?
Nighttime. He stays at his mom’s house during the week and is with me during the weekends, but being away from him at night is the hardest. I want to be his protector, and it is really hard when I can’t be there.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I consider myself to be sort of anti-social. At the end of the day, I would rather go home and have good conversations with my girlfriend than be out anywhere else. I run away from small talk. Being in sales, small talk is a requirement, so on my own time, I try to avoid it.
How did you react when you found out you were going to be a dad?
I hit my knees in fear and overwhelming excitement.
What do you like to do as a family?
I take him every Sunday morning to the Tiger cage. We’ve been doing this since he was 10 months old. We explore the campus. He could almost be a tour guide of LSU. It’s our special tradition. We spend a lot of time outside together.
What’s your parenting style?
I would say I am the permissive type. I want to act like I’m an authoritarian, but I’m actually pretty soft. I want him to learn from his experiences, and I can provide guidance and good direction from there. My mom was young when she had me, and we grew up together. She allowed me to learn through experiences and really taught me through them.
What’s one piece of advice you often give your son?
Tell the truth.
How has parenthood changed you?
It has made me much more humble and grounded me. I used to be perceived as arrogant or cocky, but I’ve lost that edge. He has brought humility.
What’s the best parenting advice you have ever received?
Be true to yourself. There’s no blueprint to it.
What’s your favorite time of day?
When I wake up, from 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. while I’m getting ready for the day. There are no phones ringing, no emails, and no distractions.
If you had 24 hours all to yourself, what would you do?
I would get lost in New Orleans on foot and eat like a king.
What advice would you give to other parents?
Do it. Bring them into the world. If you love each other and are responsible, then go for it. There’s nothing like it. ■
Fill in the blank!
Before kids, I never thought I would…change diapers.
In my fridge, you will always find…bacon.
Favorite movie growing up…Major League.
My guilty pleasure is…ice cream.
Favorite children’s book is…Elf on the Shelf.
Growing up, I knew I wanted to…have a career around sports.
I can’t stop listening to…live Dave Matthews Band playlists.
