How Louisiana Tech led Laura home to Spud
Laura Korus, a proud 2016 Louisiana Tech Psychology graduate, still speaks of her years in Ruston with unmistakable fondness. Recruited to play soccer, she spent four seasons on the pitch, years she now calls some of the most formative of her life. But when her final fall season ended and she suddenly had a few quarters left as a “regular student,” she found herself with open electives and an unexpected chance to rediscover where she came from.
Growing up in a rodeo family in Illinois, Laura was always surrounded by animals: horses, donkeys, ducks, goats, and whatever else wandered onto the property. So she turned to South Campus, enrolling in horse and animal science classes to reconnect with her roots. There she met Dr. Mark Murphey, whom she now calls the most influential teacher she’s ever had.
“I could call him about anything farm- or animal-related,” she said. “We didn’t always see things the same way, but we always had mutual respect.”
When she learned about a livestock class she’d never been able to participate in (Showing and Fitting), Dr. Murphey made room for her. Wanting to try something new, she chose the bovine project, on one condition: She couldn’t raise an animal destined for butcher. Murphey offered another option – his young Hereford bull intended for breeding in Texas. One look at the round little calf, and Laura named him Spud.
They worked together throughout the quarter, ultimately placing third in their class. After graduation, she left Spud on South Campus, until Murphey called with news that the Texas buyer had backed out and Spud’s fate was uncertain. After a pause, he offered to bring Spud to Illinois to live with her.
That summer, Dr. Murphey made the journey north, and they met at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Laura called Spud’s name toward the trailer, nervous he may have forgotten her. Instead, he answered with an unmistakable moo, her reassurance that everything would be okay.
Today, Laura works as a stuntwoman for Chicago-based television shows, while Spud lives happily in her backyard. During the pandemic, she started posting on social media, and the world fell in love with Spud. Now a social media sensation with nearly 200,000 followers, three children’s books, and his own TV show, Spud’s love for giant play balls has become his signature.
“Spud and Laura is the greatest love story ever between a bull and his ‘Moom,’” Dr. Murphey says. “It shows the power of the human-animal bond and the truth that if it’s destiny, it will happen.”
Laura laughs at the full-circle poetry of it all. “Soccer led me to Louisiana Tech, and my roots led me to South Campus,” she says. “South Campus led me to Spud, the 1800-pound bull who loves to play soccer.”