VIDALIA — When the mohawk makes an appearance in the Vidalia Vikings’ locker room, young Vikings know the drill sergeant has arrived.

Dan Perrault, a senior center and defensive lineman that will start both ways in 2014, has been with the Vikings since 2011. Unfortunately for Perrault, he’s experienced multiple losses, being on a team that’s totaled three wins in a three-year span. In his last season in a Viking uniform, Perrault is doing everything he can to change the culture by eavesdropping on young players and checking their attitudes. It’s earned him the nickname “drill sergeant” among his peers.

“I actually got that nickname before the haircut,” said Perrault, rubbing his mohawk.

Checking attitudes at the door is the easy part about being a leader. The more demanding aspect that comes along with accepting that role is the lead by example part. During the summer, Perrault worked from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Concordia Metal, working 49 hours some weeks, before he showed up to workout with his teammates from 6 to 8 p.m. The upcoming season justified the means.

“I just really want to win this year,” Perrault said. “The last three years have been terrible for me. I can’t stand losing like that.”

Perrault’s work ethic and desire is something defensive coordinator Dee Faircloth has always tried to instill in his teams.

“I’m proud of him,” said Faircloth, who coached at Vidalia for 41 years. “He reminds me a lot of my old Vikings. He’s going to be there when the shooting starts and when the shooting stops.”

Since new head coach Jeff Hancock accepted the head coach position in the spring, football has become fun again for Perrault. The unity he coveted among teammates is finally there, and Perrault said Vidalia has bought into Hancock’s system as a team, embracing a new mentality and trying to shake off old bad habits.

“Back in junior high, we actually had a good football team, and when we got to high school, it seemed like everybody here was wanting to play for themselves,” Perrault said. “Now, I actually feel like I’m on a team again.”

Perrault is a Viking through and through, going to Vidalia all of his life and looking up to former Vidalia football players along the years.

As a senior, Perrault hopes to produce a football season similar to the seasons he watched as an infant. He’s put the work in, bought into Hancock’s system and is ready to take the field as a team, which is what he always wanted.