Ross Dellenger - 100 Things LSU Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

To my wife, Elizabeth; parents, Stan and Rose; and other family members. I am lost without them.

R.D.

This is dedicated to my wife, Paige, and sons, Carl and Jack, all of whom have had infinite patience throughout my career.

R.H.

Contents

Foreword by Jacob Hester

Ross Dellenger and Ron Higgins have created 100 Things LSU Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die , a behind-the-curtain look into LSU athletics that is a must-read for all Tigers fans. The duo covers all the historic moments and personalities that make up one of the most substantial athletic departments in college athletics. Youll get an exhaustive glance into Hall of Fame coaches, generational athletes, andyesLouisiana politics.

When I think of LSU athletics and its history, the one word that always comes to mind is unique . It doesnt matter if its a Saturday night in Death Valley or a Sunday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium; you can feel the uniqueness in every moment. Its something you learn at a very early age growing up in Louisiana. I can remember asking my parents, Does everybody do it like this? The answer was always the same: Not even close. It can often be tough to explain that uniqueness, but thats exactly what you get in 100 Things LSU Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

In my lifetime Ive seen the LSU football program go from celebrating an Independence Bowl berth in 1995 to hoisting three national championship trophies in the 25 seasons that followed. One of the more impressive things about LSUs turn of fortune was the fact that it was done by three different head coaches. The authors do a fantastic job of diving into the three contrasting personalities who have led the Tigers since the turn of the millennium. Youll not only learn how that transformation took place in this book, but youll also get a history lesson about LSUs mid-century success, which many Tigers fans continue to hold in high esteem.

For more than 60 years there was one significant name that went along with LSU football: 1959 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. Every Tigers fan young and old has seen the Halloween Run against Ole Miss from 1959. Its the first thing shown in LSU Fandom 101. Before every home game, the team plays a video of Cannons punt return from that Halloween night on the Jumbotron in Tiger Stadium. That one punt return might be the first thing you learn about Dr. Cannon (he became a dentist after football), but it certainly wont be the last. The authors cover every aspect of Cannons rise, fall, and redemption.

While LSU football might be the crown jewel of LSU athletics, its not the only show in town. The LSU baseball program keeps the sports needle moving in Baton Rouge from February to Omaha. I say Omaha because thats where the LSU baseball team is expected to end every season. They created what the standard is in college baseball, and it all started with legendary coach Skip Bertman. This book covers the complete dominance Bertman and the Tigers had throughout the 1990s as well as the challenge of replacing the legendary coach. The authors also highlight some of the unforgettable moments from the diamond. Every LSU fan knows exactly where he or she was when Warren Morris walked off Miami, when Gorilla Ball took over the 1997 College World Series, and when Ryan Theriot slid across home to bring the title back to Baton Rouge in 2000. Youll get to relive those moments in their entirety throughout the many chapters dedicated to LSU baseball.

Before a guy named Joe Burrow got to Baton Rouge in 2018, the only player whose name could stand next to Billy Cannons in LSU athletics lore was Shaquille ONeal. It never fails: Every time I walk in to watch an LSU basketball game, someone will say, You should have seen this place when Shaq filled it to the rafters. From 1989 to 1992 LSU fans were treated to something that no one had ever seen before. Shaq was considered a unicorn for the sheer size of his body and everything he could do on the basketball court. Shaqs personality off the court is something that has made him a basketball icon for eternity. The authors give you a look into his days dominating college basketball as well as what makes himin his own wordsShaquille the Big Aristotle ONeal.

LSU football is not a program that retires jersey numbers for every All-American or NFL first-round draft choice. In the long and distinguished history of the program, there have been only three retired numbers. For almost 50 years Billy Cannon was the only player with his number retired, until Tommy Casanova joined him in 2009, and he was LSUs only three-time All-American. The runner-up for the 1962 Heisman Trophy, Jerry Stovall, didnt have his number at the top of Death Valley until 2018. This scarcity of retired numbers makes jersey traditions that much more important at LSU.

The biggest honor I had in my football career was when 2003 national championship quarterback Matt Mauck asked me to wear No. 18 for the Purple and Gold. The number 18 has a lot of meaning in the state of Louisiana. For one, Louisiana was the 18 th state to join the Union of the United States. When I was approached to wear such an honor, I was honestly surprised. I was a two-star recruit who was the 795 th prospect coming out of high school. I was the lowest-rated prospect in the 2004 LSU signing class, but Mauck, head equipment manager Greg Stringfellow, and head athletic trainer Jack Marucci thought I would be the ideal choice to start the No. 18 tradition. I wasnt sure how they came to that decision. Was it something I did on my official visit? Did Nick Saban mention something to them? I didnt want to ask, because I didnt want them questioning their thinking.

I truly think the number was a big part of my career. I thought it brought with it a high expectation level for me and my career. I never thought of it as a pressure situation. It held me accountable throughout my four years in Baton Rouge, and honestly it still does in my everyday life. I never wanted to let Matt Mauck down. I wanted to win every day and play well enough that the tradition didnt die with me. I wanted to be able to pass it down to another Tiger who embodied what it meant to be an Ultimate Tiger on and off the field.

I cant describe what it means for my family and me to be a part of such an amazing tradition. There have been 14 players from all over the map with completely different backgrounds who have worn No. 18 and represented LSU in their everyday lives. Wearing 18 at LSU isnt a one-year thing or even a four-year thing in my case; its a lifetime thing. When youre chosen to wear No. 18, the conversations are, Will this guy represent the number beyond his playing career and continue to represent the group in a positive way? The tradition of who wears the number is something that now is anticipated on the first day of fall camp each year. People across the college football world have picked up on the tradition. I cant explain what it means to see the LSU 18 jersey that hangs in the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. It even made its way to the National Football League: when Bennie Logan was in the NFL Draft process, one teams GM was in communication with LSU and made the comment, I dont need to ask any character questions. He wore No. 18. To be a small part of such an incredible group of men is something that humbles me every time someone mentions it. It has also created a brotherhood of former Tigers that now spans almost 20 years. We might not have all had the opportunity to play alongside each other, but its a bond that will connect us for a lifetime.