Landen May never expected a college side job to lead him to a career in linework — much less to the field at a New Orleans Saints game. But on October 11, the Louisiana native and Entergy Arkansas lineman will return to his home state to be recognized as Entergy Arkansas’s Lineman of the Game during the Saints’ matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

May was studying accounting in college when he heard someone who was contracting for Entergy talking about the linework industry having a shortage of workers. Looking for an opportunity to earn some extra money, he tracked down a phone number and made the call.

“Honestly, I was tired of being a broke college kid,” May joked. “It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”

May began his career contracting for Entergy before eventually earning an opportunity to join the company. Nearly three years later, he is being recognized for his commitment to his crew and the customers he serves.

“It means a lot that my superintendent thought that highly of me to nominate me,” May said. “It took a while to set in. Once it did, nobody could take the smile off my face.”

For May, linework is about much more than keeping the power flowing. It’s about taking care of the people working beside him and making sure everyone returns home safely.

“My biggest goal is that everyone goes home the way they showed up that morning,” May said. “Being your brother’s keeper is a real thing on my crew.”

That same sense of responsibility extends to Entergy Arkansas customers. May said seeing the relief and gratitude from customers during an outage is a reminder of why the work matters.

“The look on the customers’ faces and them being so grateful when we show up really makes you work harder for them,” he said.

May has seen that impact firsthand during major restoration efforts. Hurricane Laura, which caused widespread damage in his home state of Louisiana in 2020, remains one of the experiences that stands out most.

“The devastation that hurricane caused in my home state was mind blowing,” May said.

Those experiences have also taught him that being a good lineman requires more than technical skills. May said learning how to communicate and work with others has made him a better teammate.

“You learn how to accomplish goals by just being a nice person,” May said. “People will do more for you if you treat them like a human instead of just a worker.”

The October 11 recognition will be particularly special for May, a longtime Saints fan. He’s been to games before — his favorite was the 2018 Wild Card matchup against the Carolina Panthers — but this trip will come with a new experience: being recognized on the field.

He’ll also get to share the moment with his wife, Molly.

“She truly is my favorite person, and I wouldn’t want to do life with anyone else,” May said.

When Saints fans see him recognized as Lineman of the Game, May hopes the moment also shines a light on what motivates lineworkers to do the job every day.

“I hope they realize the reason we do what we do isn’t normally the money,” May said. “It’s about taking care of our customers through the use of electricity.”

Congratulations to Landen May on this special recognition. Entergy Arkansas is proud to honor his dedication, teamwork and commitment to serving our customers.