“Listen here,” he barked, waving a giant wooden paddle, “We either unite behind the holy trinity—corn, potatoes, and Zatarain’s—or I’m benchin’ the whole state.”*

The role is unpaid, but Bradshaw insists the real reward is “finally outrankin’ my own statue in Shreveport.” His inaugural “Crawfish Crisis Summit” kicks off next week—with a 2,000-pound boil and a keynote titled “From Tailgates to Tailpipes: How Crustaceans Built Louisiana.”