HE WAS A STAR ON THE BASKETBALL COURT FOR JU . NOW HE ’ S ONE OF THE TOP VASCULAR SURGEONS IN THE COUNTRY , HELPING CHANGE LIVES ONE PATIENT AT A TIME .
Dr . Maurice Roulhac ' 83 has always been competitive . As the second youngest of six kids growing up in Jacksonville , he was always vying for everyone ’ s attention .
“ I wanted to be the best at everything … I kind of craved attention ,” he recalled , adding with a chuckle : “ Anything I could do , I would do . I would study the encyclopedia , and go talk to my mom and dad about it .”
That craving for attention and competitive nature eventually developed into a focused determination and a rare work ethic that would drive him to excel through every phase of life .
Two of his older brothers played football , so he decided to try basketball . He worked hard and became one of the top athletes in the country . As a student at Bishop Kenny High School in the late 70s , he was recruited by elite schools .
“ I had offers to go to Columbia and Dartmouth ,” Dr . Roulhac recalled . While many high schoolers dream of attending an Ivy League school , Dr . Roulhac had a different dream . As a boy , he would listen to the radio broadcasts of JU basketball games , when Artis Gilmore , Chip Dublin , and Rex Morgan would deliver spectacular victories on the hardwood and lead their team all the way to the NCAA tournament final . So when Jacksonville University offered him a scholarship , his path became clear .
“ It was a dream come true , “ Dr . Roulhac said . “ I was elated .”
As point guard for the Dolphins , he was thrilling to watch on the court . Agile and light with quick hands and blade-like precision , Roulhac ranks ninth on JU ’ s alltime steals list with 115 . With 1,005 points in his career , Roulhac is 31st on the school ’ s alltime scoring list . He helped the team advance to the NIT in 1980 and was named Sun Belt Conference “ Freshman of the Year ” that same year . He received CoSIDA Academic All- American honors in 1983 and he led the team in free throw percentage all four seasons . In 2010 , Dr . Roulhac was inducted into the JU Hall of Fame alongside his childhood heroes .
Despite the praise and attention for his athletic abilities , however , Roulhac knew from the beginning that he wanted to be a physician . During his first year at JU , he was mentored by an alum who was a doctor , and he decided to jump on the pre-med track , majoring in biology . It was hard work , but he was up to the challenge .
“ Before practice , I studied . After practice , I studied . On road trips , I would study on the plane or on the bus , and even after the games ,” he said .
After graduating in 1983 , he attended medical school at the University of South Florida , where he enrolled in a program for aspiring surgeons . There he discovered that the same precision that made him a star on the basketball court would eventually set him apart as one of the top surgeons in the country .
“ I felt like surgery was the path for me , and it was easy for me . I was gifted in hand-eye coordination and I applied that to surgery and it just worked out tremendously ,” Dr . Roulhac said . “ Sometimes you ' re just gifted with things ; God gives us these gifts and these talents . And if you can find that gift and apply it to whatever thing you do , it doesn ’ t become a job . It ’ s just something that ’ s a part of your life .”