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When it comes to history, LSU is rich in it.
A founding member of the SEC, the Tigers already had been playing football for 40 years when the conference formed in 1933.
LSU won its first SEC title in 1935, followed it with another in 1936, and have won nine more since. Sprinkled throughout have been a couple of notable dry spells, but LSU never has been short on individual talent.
That makes whittling down the annals of Tigers football history to a select group of four representatives a daunting task.
Would you take Charles Alexander or Kevin Faulk? What about Dalton Hilliard?
Patrick Peterson, Glenn Dorsey, Laron Landry and Y.A. Title might make the cut at loads of schools throughout the country, but they missed inclusion here — along with plenty of other deserving candidates.
Whether the criteria is a data-intensive scientific exercise or a subjective patchwork of stats and legend is a closely-guarded company secret, but here are the results.
WHO’S IN?
Billy Cannon
Cannon probably is best known for the Halloween Run of 1959, when he took a punt return 89 yards for a touchdown, breaking seven tackles and innumerable Ole Miss hearts in the process. It was No. 1 LSU’s only touchdown in the 7-3 win over the third-ranked Rebels and catapulted Cannon to the Heisman Trophy at year’s end.
Cannon had a knack for making the big plays at the right time. A year earlier he led LSU to an undefeated season and a national championship, tossing the only touchdown pass of his career in a 7-0 win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
Career numbers: 1,867 rushing yards, 5.2 yards per carry, 19 rushing TDs; 522 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns; 1 punt return touchdown; 1 kick return return touchdown
Individual superlatives: Only Heisman winner in school history (1959), Two-time All-American, Two-time UPI National Player of the Year, No. 1 pick in both the NFL and AFL drafts
Tommy Casanova
Iron man football wasn’t as rare in Casanova’s day as it is now, but it was still fairly uncommon. Rarer still was a standout of Casanova’s caliber at defensive back who also chipped in at running back, kick returner and punt returner.
Doing a little bit of everything, Casanova led the Tigers to at least nine wins in each year he played (1969-71). They won the SEC title in 1970 and never finished lower than No. 11 in the AP poll while Casanova was in Baton Rouge.
Career numbers: Defensive numbers weren’t kept during Casanova’s era; he accounted for 651 total offensive yards and 12 touchdowns as a part-time running back in 1968 and 1969.
Individual superlatives: Three-time All-American; along with Cannon, one of only two players in Tigers history to have his number retired.
Kevin Faulk
When Faulk arrived on campus, LSU hadn’t had a winning season in six years. The dynamic freshman didn’t turn the Tigers fortunes on his own, but it’s no stretch to say he did more than his share.
He led the Tigers in rushing for four consecutive years and carried them to three straight winning seasons, twice finishing just outside the AP top 10. That might not seem like a grand accomplishment judged against today’s standards of LSU excellence, but coming off the Curley Hallman era, it was no small feat.
Career numbers: 4,557 rushing yards, 600 receiving yards, 53 total touchdowns
Individual superlatives: 1996 All-American; three-time All-SEC; school’s all-time leading rusher; finished his career holding 17 team and conference records
Les Miles
We can’t say he’s still winning with Saban’s recruits at this point. Some fans might take justifiable issue with Miles’ in-game management from time to time, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Since taking over for Saban a decade ago, Miles is winning nearly 80 percent of his games, and with 103 career wins, he’s the second-winningest coach in LSU history. He’s also the third-fastest to 100 wins in the SEC history (only Steve Spurrier and Robert Neyland got there in fewer games).
Toss in the a pair of SEC titles and a national championship, and you’ve got a body of work that stands up against just about anybody’s in LSU history — including Miles’ predecessor.
Brent Holloway is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State.
