By RON HIGGINS, Journal Columnist
BATON ROUGE — A TV commercial rarely comes along that you never tire from repeatedly watching.
But Amazon’s commercial titled “Joy Ride” featuring three elderly women who are lifelong friends and ride sleds together down a snowy slope as they did when they were kids is something that touches the souls of senior citizens like me.
When I walked into Tuesday’s LSU football practice as the Tigers prepare for their Jan. 1 ReliaQuest Bowl date vs. Wisconsin, I closed my eyes and just listened to coaches coaching, whistles blowing, pads thudding and hands clapping.
Suddenly, I was no longer 67 years old. I was a 6-year-old at a December 1962 LSU football practice in Tiger Stadium as the first-year head coach Charles McClendon began preparing his squad for its Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl clash vs. Texas.
Though Dad (then-LSU sports information director Ace Higgins) rarely allowed me and my older brother Johnny to attend practice – this was a special occasion.
Dad had arranged for us to have our pictures taken with our favorite LSU player.
Johnny’s guy was quarterback/placekicker Lynn Amedee, who went on to a remarkable 33-year coaching career at 10 colleges, three high schools and two pro teams.
My main man was Jerry Stovall, the 1962 Heisman Trophy runner-up (he got robbed by Oregon State’s Terry Baker).
Older LSU fans believe Stovall might be the best all-around player in the school’s history. He certainly had the stats and the versatility to justify it.
As a senior in 1962, Stovall the halfback led LSU in rushing (368 yards on 89 carries) and pass receiving (9 catches for 213 yards).
Stovall the defensive back tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2. Tackling stats weren’t recorded, but he was a fierce enough hitter for the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals to draft him as a safety (he played 9 years and was a three-time Pro Bowler).
Stovall the punter averaged a team-best 37 yards per kick.
Stovall the kickoff returner topped LSU in kickoff returns with 6 for a 41.6 yards per return average including a 100-yard game-winning TD return vs. Georgia Tech.
Stovall the punt returner was second on the team averaging 9.6 yards on 9 returns.
Finally, the multi-faced Stovall scored a team-high 11 touchdowns (9 rushing, 1 receiving, 1 kickoff return).
Younger LSU fans remember Stovall for stepping in as the Tigers’ head coach in the wake of the tragic death of McClendon’s successor Bo Rein. He died in a plane crash returning from a recruiting trip from Shreveport in January 1980 less than a month after was named head coach.
Stovall did his best, but he kept just about all of Rein’s staff. After four seasons – two winning and two losing – Stovall’s situation became untenable.
He was fired. I was LSU’s beat reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate at the time and took no solace in having to write my childhood idol’s coaching obituary.
My more pleasant memory of Stovall is him shaking my hand, kneeling next to me for the picture and his overwhelming kindness. It wasn’t an act. Now 82 years old, he’s been that way his whole life.
And while watching practice Tuesday, the day before the early signing period starts, it occurred to me that if Stovall was currently a high school recruit LSU wouldn’t have even given him a second look.
Though Stovall was the first All-State back produced by West Monroe High, he was the last prospect in LSU head coach Paul Dietzel’s 59-man signing class in an era that had no scholarship limits.
“I was the runt of the litter,” Stovall once told me.
Stovall has always credited the late Red Swanson, a former LSU player, assistant coach and Board of Supervisors member, for convincing Dietzel to sign him. Only LSU, Tulane and Louisiana Tech had contacted Stovall and he thought about enrolling at then-Northeast Louisiana in Monroe because he could also take a part-time job at the school.
“I can never thank Mr. Swanson enough,” Stovall said. “He first saw me play football as a ninth grader and followed my high school career.”
By today’s recruiting rating system, Stovall would have been a 3 or 2-star prospect praying some school would sign him.
And now, with the transfer portal, he’d have virtually no shot at a scholarship. Head coaches now would rather get a player with a couple of years of college experience than drafting a 3 or 2-star player and developing them.
The list of former LSU players who were 3 or 2-star high school recruits that now are NFL starters includes WR Justin Jefferson, C Lloyd Cushenberry, LB Damone Clark and DS Blake and Reid Ferguson.
Sometimes, coaches have to look beyond the measurables like 40-yard dash times or a recruit’s vertical to see the work ethic, character, heart and the simple will to succeed.
Suppose a coach finds a couple of those guys every year or even a walk-on like LSU senior running back Josh Williams who has been steady and productive throughout his career once he was given a chance to play. In that case, that’s a football program with a chance to annually play for championships.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com