The Reveille 12-16-19

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T he Bur r eau x Edition Mond ay, D e c e m b e r 16 , 2 019

WHAT A (HEIS)MAN Joe Burrow cements place in LSU history as the Tigers’ second Heisman Trophy winner

Spring 2018 witnessed the passing of LSU’s original Heisman, the arrival of another, page 6

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HEISMAN TRUST

L SU Re ve i l le.co m @l s u r e ve i l le

page 2

Joe Burrow wins Heisman Trophy, becomes LSU’s first winner since Billy Cannon in 1959

BY BRANDON ADAM @badam___ New York, NY. – Joe Burrow’s picture will adorn the walls of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony forever.

For so long, Billy Cannon was the lone name representing LSU. Now, after a 60-year wait, Cannon has company.

“To be mentioned in the same sentence as Mr. Cannon, it’s an honor,” Burrow said. “I just try to give back to LSU and to Louisiana as much as I can.”

On Saturday Burrow joined Cannon in the history books as a Heisman Trophy winner. It’s the senior’s reward for having the best statistical season for a quarterback in Southeastern Conference history.

Burrow set the Heisman record for highest percentage of first place votes (90.7), highest percentage of points (93.8) and the largest margin of victory by points (1,846).

He received 841 first-place votes out of a possible 893 votes for a total of 2,608 points. The 841 firstplace votes are second most in history behind USC running back OJ Simpson, who won in 1968 with 855 first-place votes.

“Did I believe it can happen at LSU? Yes,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. “Do I believe it should happen at LSU? Yes. Then when you’re in it, you go ‘man here it is we’re doing it.’ You take it one day at a time try not to think about nothing.

We’ve been thinking about Oklahoma, going out recruiting and all that stuff.

“But when you come here tonight, and you see all the greats on that stage and you see what a great moment it is. A moment in time, and I’ll never forget it. It is surreal and it is something Joe desereves and it is something when you come to LSU it is possible.”

Burrow has thrown for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns while maintaining a staggering 77.9 com-

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NEWSROOM (225) 578-4811 Editor in Chief CALEB GREENE Managing Editor HAILEY AUGLAIR Digital Editor BRITTNEY FORBES News Editor BAILEY CHAUVIN Deputy News Editor RACHEL MIPRO Sports Editor BRANDON ADAM Entertainment Editor WHITNEY HICKS

JASON SZENES / The Associated Press

NCAA college football player and Heisman Trophy finalist, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow listens to questions from the media during a news conference before the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Dec. 14 in New York. pletion percentage, surpassing the record of 76.7% set by Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in 2008.

Burrow led LSU to the College Football Playoffs, and the Tigers are the No. 1 team in the country.

He revolutionized an offense that at times mirrored the one Cannon played in at LSU into an electrifying spread offense which ranks first in yards per game and third in points per game.

He galvanized a fan base starved for a national title contender, and Burrow has been repaid with a robust embrace from the whole state of Louisiana.

Louisiana was never on Burrow’s radar. As a four-star quarterback recruit, Burrow signed with Ohio State in 2015, but when he failed to win the starting quarterback job in the spring of 2018, he looked elsewhere.

Elsewhere brought him south.

It was a chance on the unknown

for Burrow. He knew no one at LSU, and the closest he got to the state were the handful of occasions he visited his grandparents in Mississippi.

“To see him do what he’s done and win over the LSU football community has made it all worthwhile,” said Jimmy Burrow, Joe’s father who is originally from Mississippi. “It’s validated his choice, it really lets us know he was always in good hands with Coach O and the LSU football program. Our trust in coach Orgeron as a family was truly correct, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Joe Burrow said he didn’t want to get emotional during the ceremony if he won, but the rawness of his speech and moment were too much. He thanked his offensive line and skill players on offense before making his way to Orgeron, who was in the crowd with a camera fixated on him as he watched the

COURTESY OF THE HEISMAN TRUST

LSU’s Joe Burrow is announced as this year’s Heisman Trophy winner hugging coach Ed Orgeron during the Heisman Trophy Award Show on Dec. 14 in New York, NY.

player he called a top-five recruit in the history of LSU be award the highest honor in college football.

“Coach O,” Burrow said as voice trembled with emotion. “You have no idea what you mean to my family. I didn’t play for three years; you took a chance on mean not knowing if I could play or not, and I’m forever grateful for you.

“Could you imagine a guy like Coach O giving me the keys to his football program? He just means so much to me and my family, and to LSU, I sure hope they give him a lifetime contract, he sure deserves it.”

Burrow will leave New York and head back south once more. This time he won’t arrive empty handed.

Burrow will return to Louisiana with the Heisman Trophy, an honor that seemed so impossible for a LSU quarterback for so long. It was something Burrow could only dream of as a kid in Athens, Ohio.

He said he always watched the ceremony and remembers players like Nebraska’s Eric Crouch, who won in 2001, standing on the stage holding their trophies in the air as cameras flicker.

And much like Cannon, Crouch and previous Heisman winners, Burrow’s legacy will last forever.

“I just try to leave a legacy of hard work and preparation and leadership wherever I go, and I hope I leave people with a kind taste in their mouth when they have memories of me,” Burrow said. “The support from everyone means a lot, and it shows that I’ve worked hard everywhere I’ve been.

No matter what happens in the College Football Playoffs, one thing is for certain, when Burrow leaves LSU he’ll have left more than kind memories.

He’ll leave as the best quarterback in LSU history and second Heisman Trophy winner in school.

And one day, Burrow’s name may adorn the façade of Tiger Stadium right next to LSU legends Jerry Stovall and of course, Billy Cannon.

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Monday, December 16, 2019

page 3

BRADY-BUILT OFFENSE Joe Burrow, Joe Brady lead LSU into new era of offense

BY BRANDON ADAM @badam___ 6/26/19— LSU fans have been sold a bill of goods on a new offensive juggernaut each spring for pretty much a decade.

By the sound of players and coaches, LSU’s offense is “The Greatest Show on Turf” each spring. But at the end of each season the talk gets replaced by results, and the results haven’t been pretty. The self-proclaimed juggernaut offense instead turns out to be mediocre and uninspiring.

The offense gets by lesser teams with overwhelming physicality and sheer talent, but when those two aspects are matched, things get ugly quickly. In the 11 seasons following LSU’s last national title in 2007, the Tigers’ offense has averaged 30.5 points per game.

The number isn’t awful, but in the same time span, LSU has scored 142 points in 12 tries against Alabama, an average of 11.8 points, which is far below the season average. The number looks even more bleak when considering 69 of those points were scored in four games from 2008 to 2011, and the other 73 points

have come in the last eight games, three of which were shutouts.

So to whom does LSU turn to sell the new offense heading into 2019?

The answer is Joe Brady, who was playing wide receiver at the College of William & Mary the last time LSU beat Alabama. Since then though, the 29-year-old Brady worked his way through the coaching profession and comes to LSU from the New Orleans Saints, where he spent two years as an offensive assistant.

Brady’s title at LSU is passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He acts as the right-hand man of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger. Ensminger took steps to revitalize LSU’s offense the same way he did as interim in 2016 and shifted from an old-school, power offense to a more modern offense.

He tried to incorporate many more three and four wide receiver formations, but the offense was maligned by other issues outside of scheme. The offensive line was constantly banged up and injured, the tight end position was solely manned Foster Moreau outside of the rare help from wide receiver Racey McMath and fullback Tory

MITCHELL SCAGLIONE / The Reveille

LSU senior quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws the ball in the LSU Indoor Practice Facility on Aug. 26.

Carter, and the wide receivers had barely any experience.

Then in the backfield, quarterback Joe Burrow had only been on campus for two months before the season started, and for the first time in the longest time, LSU was unusually thin on depth at

running back.

In comes Brady to help Ensminger install a full-time spread offense. The two have spent the spring working on designing and installing a brand new offense around Burrow and a rotation of six to eight receivers anchored by

junior Justin Jefferson and sophomores Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall.

“We were trying to put together a system that was easy for the guys to implement in the

see OFFENSE, page 5

‘I’m ready to go to war with him’: Burrow rallies Tigers

BY KENNEDI LANDRY @landryyy14 8/27/19— At an LSU Coaches Caravan stop in June, new passing game coordinator Joe Brady said that he would run through a brick wall for senior quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow’s teammates would have no problem running through a wall for him either.

That wasn’t always the case, however.

This time a year ago, Burrow had just won a four-man quarterback battle that ended in two transfers and fractured locker room days before the season started. Junior quarterback Justin McMillan was atop the depth chart heading into the fall and had the players’ support as well until Burrow was named the starter. The fallout from the decision resulted in McMillan and freshman quarterback Lowell Narcisse leaving the program and a players-only meeting.

Burrow won the job, but he hadn’t yet won the team — that would come in week three against Auburn, Burrow thinks. But a year later, the Ohio native is the undisputed leader of a LSU team with higher expectations that Baton Rouge has seen in recent years.

“Joe has been stellar since he got here,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. “He’s quiet, unassuming. I know sometimes in his interviews he’s not, but he is very professional when he comes to work. He’s

into it, wants to win and wants to get better every day.”

Junior center Lloyd Cushenberry III agrees with Burrow’s assertion that he won over the team during the Auburn game, but he always knew Burrow was “the guy.” However, the final few drives of that game were a turning point for the whole team.

Cushenberry references a story he told about Burrow at SEC Media Days. During the gamewinning drive against Auburn last season, Burrow walked into a nervous huddle and says, “what’s up guys?” before going on to facilitate the drive that ended in a game-winning field goal. Cushenberry said he exudes that type of composure every day.

“He’s a confident, poised guy,” Cushenberry said. “He’s more vocal now, knowing that it’s his team for sure now, but he’s not much different in how he approaches everything. It’s his team for sure now and we know what he can do and we’re ready to see it happen.”

But even though Burrow entered fall camp this season in a different position, as the definite leader of this team, nothing changed about his demeanor in camp.

Burrow’s confidence and calmness make him such an important part of this team both on and off the field, but it’s his toughness on the field that makes Burrow different.

“I love his moxy,” Brady said.

“I think he makes everybody on

MITCHELL SCAGLIONE / The Reveille

Quarterback Joe Burrow (9) celebrates with sophomore linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (18) on the sideline during LSU’s 42-28 victory over Florida on Oct. 12. that football team better. Joe Burrow is exactly what you’re looking for in a quarterback, he has that makeup. As a coach, you’re fired up knowing that Joe is your quarterback. I know every single time we step onto the field this fall, we have the opportunity to win with Joe Burrow.”

That hasn’t stopped Burrow from taking a number of hits though. In LSU’s Fiesta Bowl victory over the University of Central Florida, Burrow threw an interception early in the game and

was laid out by a UCF defensive lineman as he attempted to make a tackle.

Even then, Burrow refused to come out of the game. That’s just one of the many things that his teammates love about him.

“My favorite thing about Joe is his toughness,” said junior tight end Thaddeus Moss. “He’ll get lit up, he’ll get hit, but he’ll get up with a smile on his face, say a little something and go on with this next play.

“Being on the sideline, I didn’t

appreciate it [Burrow getting hit at the Fiesta Bowl] at all. I was ready to run on the field for him.

That’s how I feel about Joe. Whenever somebody gets close to him, whenever somebody hits him, I’m ready to go to war with him.”

Even with his team behind him, Burrow has recently come to realize the enormity of being the starting quarterback at LSU beyond the people inside the program. So much that he was aware

see BURROW, page 5

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Monday, December 16, 2019 OFFENSE, from page 3 run game, but the formations matched up in the pass game,” said Brady at a TAF Coaches Caravan stop on Monday. He equated the progress of LSU’s offense in the spring to going through college classes. First came the 100, 200-level classes, and the fall will be for classes 300 and up.

“From a system standpoint, we were just trying to find a way to put our speed in space and how we can get our offense to make the defense play with 11 players.

If we can get our running backs, our tight ends involved and our quarterbacks involved in the run game.”

Brady even let it slip that LSU will not be huddling for the most part in 2019. The players will now get to the line and look to the sideline for the play call in an effort to stay up tempo.

BURROW, from page 3 of the anxiety around the city of Baton Rouge and LSU fans when he missed the first scrimmage of fall camp with a “minor camp injury.”

“I’ve become more aware of it,” Burrow said. “It definitely hit me when we had all the boosters here at the opening of [the renovated LSU Football Operations Building].

I kind of took a step back and re-

page 5 He talked about abandoning max and seven-man protections in favor of going to a fiveman protection to keep defenses spread out and accountable for every man on the field.

“A lot of people think when you’re getting a lot of pressure you need to bring the box in and bring max protection, seven-man protection, but I think you go five-man protection you get the ball out faster and it limits what defenses can do.

“As an offense we want to get the running backs out in the routes. Running backs at the end of the day are here to run the ball and catch passes. They’re not signed to play at LSU because they’re dynamic blockers that’s what offensive linemen are for.”

The man behind the offensive line will be the biggest key for LSU’s offense. Burrow threw for 2894 yards and 16 touchdowns

while adding 399 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in his first year at LSU. Heading into his senior season, Burrow has finally been able to acclimate to the coaches and wide receivers. He’s been given input into the offense heading into the season, and during spring practice he said it was an offense that is second nature to him and similar to what he ran in high school and at Ohio State.

The emphasis has been on four and five-wide sets, and Ensminger said LSU had two practices dedicated strictly to five-wide formations along with more designed quarterback runs.

“There’s so many things we can do with Joe [Burrow],” Orgeron said. “This offense is tailor made for Joe. Last year we couldn’t run Joe as much because Myles [Brennan] had a stress fracture.”

The guys Burrow will be throwing to will also be more varied this season. Last year LSU kept the wide receivers in one role and position. Players like senior Derrick Dillon only played the slot, and other receivers like Jefferson, Chase and Marshall played as the strong or weak-side receivers.

Now, all the receivers will be expected to be able to play multiple roles and know what each other is doing. Brady said they are no longer teaching roles, but concepts and route combinations, leading to more diversity in the offense.

But the main goal isn’t to just get the ball to the best player with a simple handoff or chuck it 40 yards downfield off of play action anymore. LSU is going to isolate its playmakers and put them in space in advantageous situations to make plays.

“We’re attentive to details in

the things we do, but at the same time we’re not going to coach the athletes out of our football players,” Brady said. “We’re going to allow them to have fun and do what they do best.”

Those are similar words heard before from LSU coaches, but the groundwork from what Ensminger did in 2018 is there. It’s now up to Brady and Ensminger to deliver even further, and the comradery between the two shows.

Brady stepped into Enmsinger’s interview with the media and asked the offensive coordinator thought of his hire.

Ensminger was quick to reply.

“I told Coach O it was the worst thing he’s ever done in his life,” he said jokingly.

If the two coaches can finally build the long awaited juggernaut offense, Brady’s hire might be the best thing Orgeron has ever done.

alized that I’m in a really special place. It really hit me that we have so much support behind us. Our coaching staff is great and I’m with great guys on the team.”

Orgeron said Burrow can have an even better season in 2019 with the new offensive scheme implemented by Brady.

Burrow’s chemistry with receivers is going to be a huge factor in the offense’s success this season.

Burrow and junior receiver Justin

Jefferson connected 54 times last season, but the Tigers are also returning sophomores Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall Jr., who are set to be heavy contributors in the new offense.

Burrow said the improved chemistry with his wide receiver trio started way back in January after the bowl game when they began throwing together and working on polishing routes and cover-

age reads.

“The offense [last season] was really tailored around getting [Jefferson] the ball,” Burrow said. “He was our best receiver last year quite honestly. This year, we’re going to be spreading the ball out a little more, as far as concepts we have.

“As good as Terrace and Ja’Marr were last year, they were still freshmen. They took a while to grow.

You could see it at the end of the year as they emerged as guys that

could be the No. 1 guy.”

Burrow knows what it’s like to grow into the No. 1 guy. He’s done it.

Now, with his teammates beside him, he is more than ready to run through whatever walls face him in Tiger Stadium on Saturday nights this fall.

“The book has yet to be written,” Burrow said. “This is just chapter one and we’re looking to get off to a good start.”

Monday, December 16, 2019

page 6

CANNON CONNECTION Spring 2018 witnessed the passing of LSU’s original Heisman, the arrival of another.

One of the final photos taken of the late Billy Cannon in Tiger Stadium during the 2018 Spring Game on Saturday, Apr. 21, 2018.

David Haynes looks over his collection of LSU Football memorabilia in the Reveille News Room in Hodges Hall on Nov. 19.

photos by BEN CAPLAN

BY REED DARCEY @byreeddarcey Shortly after the 2018 LSU Spring Game kicked off, David Haynes stood among a group of fans in an exit tunnel of Tiger Stadium.

It was early evening on a hot, humid April day. The sun was beating, shining bright through the opening of the tunnel.

Haynes is a 57-year-old LSU superfan and an experienced autograph collector. He brought some of his memorabilia to the game on April 21, 2018, including a helmet covered with signatures from LSU football’s All-Americans. On the helmet, he saved a spot for the autograph of the only Tiger who was unanimously named to an All-American team twice, Billy Cannon. The 1959 Heisman Trophy winner was a guest coach at the spring game.

Haynes hoped to catch Cannon at the right time. So he waited.

After a few minutes, Haynes noticed a figure emerge from the light, walking toward the faithful fans. It was Cannon.

“It’s like he walked out of heaven,” Haynes said.

When Cannon approached the congregation, Haynes saw what was left of the once dominant athlete, the Heisman winner, the Louisiana hero. Cannon wore a yellow collared shirt. He looked thin and frail. Dark spots dotted the skin on his face and arms.

“Yeah, you do have a lot of signatures. But my eyes are so bad, I’m getting old, and I can’t see,” Cannon told Haynes.

Haynes read to Cannon some of the names on the helmet.

“Mr. Cannon,” Haynes said, “Don’t worry about your eyesight because everybody in Tiger nation knows you’re a legend.”

Cannon’s hands shook as he signed the helmet. Haynes thanked him, wished him good health and stepped aside. Haynes snapped a photo of Cannon signing a football for a couple of children, and followed closely behind him as he walked out of the exit gate and climbed into a car. He says he didn’t see Cannon sign any more autographs, and no one took another photo of him.

Haynes began to cry.

“I looked at him, and I said that’s a legend leaving LSU Stadium,” Haynes said. “He’s a oneof-a-kind legend. It made me cry because I knew he looked a little frail. And I said I hope that he’s okay in his health.”

Cannon was driven to a different gate, where he watched the rest of the game from a suite. After the game, he left the stadium and spent most of the next month on his farm in St. Francisville, Louisiana, with his family and his horses. The 2018 Spring Game was his final visit to Tiger Stadium, his final official LSU event and his final time at the site of the most famous punt return in college football history, Cannon’s 89-yard house-call against Ole Miss in 1959.

After his run, he was a hero.

Over 20 years later, after his arrest, he was a villain. He later found redemption in his interactions with LSU faithful and regained his status as a beloved icon. Haynes considers himself fortunate to have documented some of Cannon’s final moments in the company of fans in Tiger Stadium. He has one of the last Cannon autographs the legend signed in Death Valley, along with one of the last photos of the legend in the stadium.

“When I saw him, my heart jumped,” Haynes said. “I’ve met him a lot of times before and I’ve

talked to him before, but it was just something special about that day and that sunshine.”

“That was meant to be. This was special because for some reason this was different. It was a different vibe that I caught that day.”

On May 20, about a month after the Spring Game, Cannon passed away. On May 18, a couple of days before Louisiana lost its only Heisman winner, an unknown backup quarterback from Ohio State transferred to LSU in hope of resurrecting his career.

His name was Joe Burrow, and he announced his decision in a tweet.

“Excited to be playing in Death Valley next season,” he wrote. “Ready to get to work.”

Bill Ferrari sits on the second floor of the Barnes & Noble at LSU, thumbing through a Billy Cannon biography he pulled from a shelf.

He sports a purple LSU baseball cap, a black and purple LSU leather jacket and a purple shirt with “LSU” emblazoned in gold across the chest. Ferrari studied history and anthropology at the University in the late ‘50s.

And he stood in the stands for the Tigers’ fabled game against Ole Miss on Halloween night in 1959.

Ferrari saw the moments Cannon became a Bayou rock star, as he sprinted down the sidelines on his punt return touchdown, leaving would-be tacklers in his wake. Ten minutes later, Cannon ran on the goal-line parallel to the line of scrimmage before leaping to stop a Rebel from scoring, preserving an LSU victory in the closing seconds of the game.

He remembers each play of

the goal-line stand as if it happened yesterday.

The Tigers stopped a handoff to the right on first down, Ferrari recalled. A quarterback sweep to the left with two lead blockers on second down and another quick handoff up the middle on third down followed before the play that ended the “Game of the Century” and punctuated Cannon’s legendary performance.

Ferrari left LSU two years later and returned to his home in San Francisco, where he worked as a teacher for 30 years, retired and travelled the globe. He didn’t return to Baton Rouge until this football season, when he came to LSU to see Tiger Stadium, or as he calls it, the “cathedral of college football.” He watched the Tigers beat Utah State, Florida, Arkansas and Texas A&M. He witnessed quarterback Joe Burrow become a legend, jogging onto the field on senior night to a roaring ovation, wearing a jersey that read “Burreaux.” Burrow would later dismantle Texas A&M, concluding a record-setting season in command of one of LSU’s greatest teams.

Like Cannon’s punt return, Burrow’s coronation was captured on video. Contrast the two moments, and you’ll watch one through black-and-white, grainy, shaky footage, the other through a crystal clear, steady lens. The technological gap spans the 60 years between LSU’s two Heisman winners.

Compare them, and you’ll see one clip you’ve likely seen many times before, and another you’ll likely see many times in the future. The two videos bookend Ferrari’s life as an LSU fan, six decades that were filled with ups and downs and twists and turns before ultimately ending in the same manner in which

they began.

Ferrari struggles to compare Cannon and Burrow. He knows so much more about Burrow. He commends him for his humility, confidence and focus.

“He’s one of these guys everybody likes,” Ferrari says. “[The fame] didn’t go to his head at all.”

Ferrari is then shown a video of Burrow leaving the field after his Tigers routed Texas A&M. In the clip, Burrow begins his jog as the band’s playing of “Let us Break Bread Together” reaches its crescendo. Ferrari watches the quarterback bow his head and thank LSU faithful in front of the student section, the same place Ferrari watched the birth of Cannon’s legend. Burrow then moves through the thick crowd to the locker room.

“I touched him!” a young woman exclaims in the video.

Ferrari smiles.

“Like a rock star,” he says.

David Haynes had met Billy Cannon before.

He says his father, Richard Haynes, lived down the block from Cannon and befriended him at Istrouma High School before they graduated together in 1955.

One day, as Cannon signed an autograph for him, Haynes asked Cannon if he remembered his father, Richard. Cannon did, and he asked Haynes how his father was doing.

At another event, Cannon and Haynes met again. Before Haynes could reintroduce himself, Cannon asked him the same question.

“How’s your daddy?” he said.

Richard Haynes attended the Halloween game. When he told the story of Cannon’s punt return to his son, he included details,

see CANNON, page 7

Monday, December 16, 2019 CANNON, from page 6 like the referee sprinting alongside Cannon, and a photographer rushing into the end zone in a desperate attempt to document the historic feat. Through the memory and through the story, Richard Haynes passed on a reverence for Cannon, and by association, LSU football.

David Haynes has an entire room of his home dedicated to Tiger memorabilia. He has helmets, footballs, photos, commodity posters, 52 jerseys and a huge banner that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1958 National Championship. Cannon signed the banner and a plastic replica helmet that Haynes painted to look exactly like the one Cannon wore.

After he lugged a fraction of his collection into The Reveille newsroom, Haynes stood for the hour-long interview, excitedly describing his relics, his interactions with Cannon and his LSU fandom.

People like Haynes helped Cannon return to Tiger Stadium.

Cannon was arrested in 1983 for his involvement in a counterfeiting ring that had printed roughly $5 million in counterfeit bills. He agreed to cooperate with the investigation, pleading guilty to one charge of conspiracy and possession of counterfeit bills.

He was sentenced to five years

page 7 in prison and was released after serving nearly three years.

Cannon’s youngest daughter, Bunnie Cannon, who works for the fundraising wing of LSU Athletics, said, “He paid for it financially. He paid for it in time, and it took a long time before the community accepted him back.”

A Sports Illustrated article written around the time of Cannon’s arrest labeled him a “counterfeit hero.” He also reportedly had a falling out with LSU and former Athletic Director Carl Maddox over his seats in Tiger Stadium. Many, to this day, still struggle to find a motive for Cannon’s participation in the scheme.

“A lot of people think they know him, and they didn’t,” Bunnie Cannon said.

Both Haynes and Bunnie Cannon agree that Cannon’s contributions outweigh his criminality.

After prison, he brought his dental practice to the Louisiana State Penitentiary, more commonly referred to as “Angola,” serving inmates for 22 years.

“Everybody will make mistakes,” Haynes said. “Nobody’s perfect. I forgive him for that.

Look at all he’s done for Angola, for all the inmates. I think he’s well paid back society.”

Cannon slowly emerged from isolation in the years following his release. He began to open up again, signing autographs, appearing at events, speaking in

front of crowds. Tiger fans like Haynes welcomed their hero back with open arms.

“He began to meet people again and to talk again,” Bunnie Cannon agreed. “And he never turned an autograph away, never turned a person away and spent countless hours trying to help further this university in any way that he could.”

“He always took his time,” Haynes said. “He always took pictures. He always signed everything you had. If there was a line around the building, he would stay there until everybody got their signature and would not leave. He was really somebody who really represented LSU.” Haynes feels fortunate to have documented some of Cannon’s final moments in the stadium he helped build and among the fans who helped build him back up.

“He was a special person,” he said. “He really was.”

“I wish he was still here,” Haynes sighs.

His photo of Cannon might be his most prized possession, but it won’t complete his collection.

Haynes is in search of an elusive signature from another LSU legend. He doesn’t know where to find that backup quarterback from Ohio, but he will undoubtedly try to get his autograph.

“It’s number one on my list,” he said. “I will cherish it.”

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BEN CAPLAN / The Reveille

A replica LSU jersey and football helment autographed by Billy Cannon in front of Tiger Stadium as the sun goes down on Nov. 19

BEN CAPLAN / The Reveille

An LSU football helmet signed by former Tiger All-Americans.

Monday, December 16, 2019

page 8

JOE BURROW Over his four-year collegiate career, Joe Burrow threw for 7,896 yards to 35 receivers (including himself) between LSU and Ohio State. Here’s how Burrow’s top 20 LSU pass catchers stack up.

Monday, December 16, 2019

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OTHER LSU RECEIVERS RACEY MCMATH

444 YARDS

207 YARDS

55 RECEPTIONS

14 RECEPTIONS 2 TOUCHDOWNS

THADDEUS MOSS 435 YARDS 38 RECEPTIONS 1 TOUCHDOWN

JOE BURROW 16 YARDS

DERRICK DILLON

1 RECEPTION

341 YARDS

DEE ANDERSON 274 YARDS 20 RECEPTIONS 1 TOUCHDOWN

33 RECEPTIONS 4 TOUCHDOWNS

FOSTER MOREAU 272 YARDS 22 RECEPTIONS 2 TOUCHDOWNS

JA’MARR CHASE 1811 YARDS

JUSTIN JEFFERSON 2043 YARDS 136 RECEPTIONS 20 TOUCHDOWNS

90 RECEPTIONS 21 TOUCHDOWNS

TERRACE MARSHALL JR. 721 YARDS 48 RECEPTIONS 10 TOUCHDOWNS

CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE 499 YARDS 61 RECEPTIONS 1 TOUCHDOWNS

STEPHEN SULLIVAN 460 YARDS 32 RECEPTIONS 2 TOUCHDOWNS

Monday, December 16, 2019

page 10

QUARTERBACK COMPETITION Transfer quarterback Joe Burrow faces competition for starting position

BY GLEN WEST @gwest21 6/27/18— With three months until kickoff for the 2018 season, the LSU quarterback controversy is in full effect with a wide open competition between four players.

Since 2000, seven LSU quarterbacks have been selected in the NFL draft, the highest being JaMarcus Russell at No. 1 overall in 2007. The others were all taken later in the draft, usually in the sixth or seventh round.

Sophomore Myles Brennan came to school last year, hoping to put the QB doubts to rest right out of the gate. The four-star prospect was known for his pocket passing in high school, with accuracy being at the forefront of his game.

Brennan broke many Mississippi records with his play in high school, including 15,138 passing yards, 166 touchdowns and total offense at 16,168.

LSU fans were chomping at the bit to see Brennan in action and finally got their wish against Syracuse on Sept. 23. Brennan went 4-of-6 for 75 yards and an interception before being replaced by starter Danny Etling, who guided LSU to a 35-26 victory.

Brennan was called on again the following week against Troy.

Trailing 10-0 at halftime, coach Ed Orgeron went with Brennan in the

second half. Brennan went 4-of7 for 68 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The freshman would be replaced by Etling in the fourth, and LSU would come up short in the comeback effort, losing 24-21.

Brennan would play sparingly after the Troy game, finishing the season completing 14-of-24 passes for 182, a touchdown and two picks.

The two other returning quarterbacks, freshman Lowell Narcisse and junior Justin McMillan, come into fall 2018 with a lot to prove, as McMillan is the only one that has seen playing time, completing one pass in 2016 for 19 yards.

Then there’s new transfer quarterback from Ohio State, junior Joe Burrow. Burrow spent three years as the backup quarterback at Ohio State, accumulating 287 yards passing and two touchdowns in garbage time play.

In high school, Burrow was the eighth rated dual threat prospect, throwing for 11,416 yards and 157 touchdowns in three years, including an insane senior year of 63 touchdowns to just two interceptions.

Orgeron insists that Burrow will compete with the other three for the starting job and won’t come in with any handouts.

“We told him there’s an opportunity here,” Orgeron said in May.

“I think the bottom line is he chose to compete at the highest level.”

Burrow wasn’t in purple and gold for the Spring Game this past April, giving Brennan, Narcisse and McMillan the head start in impressing the coaching staff.

All three struggled to some degree, with Brennan going 11-for-21 for 125 yards, one touchdown and one pick, Narcisse going 6-of-13 for 205 yards and a touchdown, and McMillan going 13-of-27 for 182 yards passing and 69 addition-

al rushing yards with two touchdowns.

Orgeron gave McMillan the highest praise from after the game but mentioned Brennan and Narcisse as guys that have shown promise in practices.

“He’s [Justin] playing with more confidence than the other quarterbacks, and I think that shows,” Orgeron said. “It’s what he’s been doing. The other guys have had other practices. I don’t think this was Myles’ or Lowell’s best prac-

tice. It’s been up and down the whole season.”

With four quarterbacks competing for one slot, it’s believed that one of the returning three quarterbacks will transfer from LSU. However, anything is possible.

There is never a dull year when it comes to LSU and its quarterbacks, so at this point all that can be done is wait with anticipation for what should be a competitive fall camp.

Burrow shows confidence, skill in first start as Tiger

BY GLEN WEST @gwest21 9/3/18— The Tigers have only played one game, but man, Joe Burrow sure looked impressive in LSU’s 33-17 route of Miami Sunday night.

The stats don’t particularly paint a very good picture — 11-for24 for 140 yards — but the transfer quarterback from Ohio State stepped up when it mattered most and delivered catchable passes to his receivers.

Postgame, Burrow thought the offense as a whole wasn’t up to the standard they set for themselves, despite rattling off 27 of the 33 points between the kicker and the run game.

“I thought I played OK,” Burrow said. “As an offense, I think we played average.”

Burrow’s emotions were strong even before the game, being one of many players involved in a pregame scuffle with the Miami players.

“I saw people scuffling a little bit so I decided to run over there and help them out,” Burrow said.

“This was the first chance I’ve had in a long time to lead a football team.

Two dropped passes in the first quarter from receivers Justin Jefferson and Derrick Dillon didn’t help with Burrow’s start, nor did

the lack of protection from the offensive line.

But Burrow showed great touch on a corner pass to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, which put LSU down to the one and was punched in by running back Nick Brossette on the next play. Burrow said converting on a throw like that was huge for his confidence.

Burrow was also money at the line of scrimmage with his playcalling. Two times in the first half, Burrow was able to draw Miami offsides with a fake play call. On a key fourth and one handoff to Brossette, Burrow seemed to change the play call at the line of scrimmage as a handoff to the left side, which was converted and led to a touchdown.

“When we get fourth and short, we’re expecting to go for it so it really wasn’t a conversation,” Burrow said. “I saw the safety come down on the front side like he was going to blitz off the edge.

We couldn’t block them all, so I changed the play and the o-line picked it up well, and obviously Nick finished the play.”

The 8-for-15 and 101 yards passing doesn’t do Burrow’s first half performance justice as the confidence and leadership oozed out to the rest of the players.

The run game became the priority in the second half with a 27-3 lead firmly in place, but that didn’t

CHRISA MORAN / The Reveille

LSU junior quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws the ball during the Tigers’ 33-17 victory to Miami in the AdvoCare Classic on Sept. 2, 2018 in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. keep Burrow from creating plays in a variety of ways.

Burrow’s first throw of the second half was a bullet to Jefferson that went for 23 yards followed by a slant route to Dee Anderson, showing he picked up exactly where he left off.

An 11-yard rush on 3rd-and-10 in the early moments of the fourth quarter brought a loud applause on the LSU sideline. The play was

a microcosm of what Burrow did the entire game: make winning plays through toughness and effort.

The one knock that can be made on Burrow’s performance was that early on, the Tigers had to burn two timeouts because the offense wasn’t getting to the line in a timely fashion. Coach Ed Orgeron took the responsibility for that after the game but said it’s

something that Burrow needs to learn from.

Orgeron said after the game that he was pleased with Burrow’s performance and “managing” the gameplan.

“I think he did great,” Orgeron said. “Obviously there’s a lot of things to fix. I thought he kept his poise, same we saw all camp. We’re 1-0, and that’s all that counts.”

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Monday, December 16, 2019

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Burrow joined by Hurts, Fields, Young in Heisman ceremony

BY RALPH RUSSO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts and Ohio State teammates quarterback Justin Fields and defensive end Chase Young will join LSU quarterback Joe Burrow as Heisman Trophy finalists.

The top vote-getters for college football’s most famous player of the year award were announced Monday, and three of them were quarterbacks who transferred to their current schools.

Burrow is the clear front-runner to win the Heisman on Saturday night in New York after a record-breaking season, leading the Tigers (13-0) to the top seed in the College Football Playoff.

He would be LSU’s second Heisman winner and first since running back Billy Cannon in 1959.

The 60-year gap between Heisman winners would be the longest for any school with multiple recipients.

The other finalists were not so obvious even after all the games had been played. Ohio State had three players worthy of consideration in Fields, Young and running back J.K. Dobbins.

Fields and Young are the first teammates to be finalists since Oklahoma had quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Dede West-

brook at the Heisman ceremony in 2016.

Hurts is the third Oklahoma quarterback in the last four seasons to be a Heisman finalist, including the last two winners in Kyler Murray and Mayfield.

Burrow is just the second Heisman finalist for LSU since candidates began being invited to New York for the presentation ceremony in 1982, and the first offensive player from the Tigers.

The last finalist from LSU was defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who finished fifth in the voting in 2011.

Quarterbacks have dominated the Heisman over the last two decades, winning 16 of the last 19 trophies, dating back to 2000.

The last two winning quarterbacks, Murray and Mayfield, were both transfers, and this year will likely make it three straight transfer QBs to win the Heisman.

Burrow left Ohio State and joined LSU in 2018 as a graduate transfer. He had a breakout season this year in the Tigers’ new spread offense. Burrow has already set an Southeastern Conference record with 48 touchdown passes and is on pace to set an NCAA record for completion percentage at 77.9%.

Hurts played for three seasons at Alabama, reaching the playoff each year before joining

the Sooners and leading them to the final four. He has passed for 3,634 yards and 32 touchdowns and run for 1,255 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Fields played his freshman season last year at Georgia, but transferred to Ohio State and was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA to play this season.

The sophomore has the Buckeyes (13-0) unbeaten and seeded second entering the playoff.

He has thrown 40 touchdown passes and just one interception and has run for 10 more touchdowns.

Young is the first exclusively defensive player to be a Heisman finalist since Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o finished second behind Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in 2012. He leads the nation with 16.5 sacks, despite missing two games for an NCAA violation.

Missing out were the nation’s top running backs.

Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor has been one of the most prolific runners in college football history, surpassing 1,900 yards rushing in each of his three seasons.

This year he is second in the nation with 1.909 yards rushing and leads with 26 touchdowns.

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard is the nation’s leading rusher with 1,936 yards and 21 touch-

downs. Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins is third in the nation in rushing

with 1,829 yards and has scored 22 touchdowns.

Other Heisman Finalists 2,953 passing yards 40 passing TDs 471 rushing yards 10 rushing TDs Justin Fields

Ohio State Quarterback

3,634 passing yards 32 passing TDs 1,255 rushing yards 18 rushing TDs Jalen Hurts Oklahoma Quarterback

16.5 sacks 6 forced fumbles 44 tackles 21 tackles for loss Chase Young

Ohio State Defensive End

Monday, December 16, 2019

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Joe Burrow walks off field at Tiger Stadium for final time

BY REED DARCEY @byreeddarcey 12/2/19— After LSU dominated Arkansas, a clip from Joe Burrow’s post-game football press conference made the rounds on social media.

“Excited for Saturday,” Burrow said at the podium. “Excited.”

A reporter then asked him why he was excited for the Tigers’ game against Texas A&M. “A chance to go 12-0,” Burrow replied, sipping from his water bottle before flashing a villainous grin.

More than an undefeated season was on the line in the Tigers’ game against the Aggies. LSU’s final game of the regular season was its chance to exact revenge for one of the most memorable games in college football history, a controversial, five-hour, 74-72, seven-overtime loss to Texas A&M last year.

In his press conference, Burrow showed the strength of his will, a defining characteristic of the 2019 LSU offense. He and his offense have gotten everything they wanted all season. Against A&M, it was no different. The Tigers won 50-7.

Burrow finished the season with 4,366 passing yards, setting the new Southeastern Conference

record for passing yards in a single season. His 44 touchdowns are tied for the most ever by an SEC quarterback, and his 78% completion percentage shattered the single-season SEC record of 72.3%.

His completion percentage also set a new FBS record, all while averaging roughly 11 yards per attempt. The heights of offense’s success even surprised head coach Ed Orgeron.

“I thought it would be efficient,” Orgeron said. “But we never thought about records.”

Against the Aggies, the Tigers cruised to victory, shattering the school’s total single-season scoring record in the process. Burrow tossed three touchdowns, one to junior wide receiver Justin Jefferson and two to sophomore wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, a honor given to the nation’s best receiver.

Burrow was comfortable all game, slaloming through the pocket when his receivers were covered, keeping his eyes downfield and waiting for a receiver to pop open. The performance was a fitting end to a dream regular season, where the offense formed a perfect storm.

The offensive line returned all five starters and held steady all season. Chase, Jefferson and

sophomore wide receiver Terrace Marshall blossomed into dynamic weapons, as did junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who is a finalist for the Hornung Award, a distinction for the nation’s most versatile player.

At the helm of the perfect offense is Baton Rouge’s new legend, Burrow, who stumbled into a perfect marriage with the place he can forever call home. Burrow mirrors Louisiana in a myriad of ways — in his swagger, confidence, nonchalance and toughness.

“I fought through a lot of adversity, and so did a lot of players on this team,” Burrow said. “I think that’s really helped us become who we are.”

He walked out of the tunnel on senior night to a roaring ovation. On the back of his jersey, his name was spelled “Burreaux,” commemorating his transformation from an Ohio boy to a Louisiana man. The new nameplate rested on his shoulders, signifying the people he carries on his shoulders in the Tigers’ pursuit of a national championship.

“Joe has meant a lot to Louisiana,” said Orgeron. “People in Louisiana have heart, man. When they love you, they love you. They love Joe, and Joe loves them.”

Burrow jogged off the field to

ABBY KIBLER / The Reveille

LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow (9) gets cheered on as he walks into Tiger Stadium on Nov. 30. another ovation from the student section and made his way to the locker room, where he took off his pads and moved to his post-game press conference. This week, his mood at the podium was different.

He smiled, cracked jokes. Burrow’s bitter resolve after the Arkansas game was now a tranquil satisfaction in a calming feeling of

accomplishment and gratitude.

“Thanks for resurrecting my career and everything you guys have done for me,” Burrow said.

“It’s been a dream come true.”

“This is the best atmosphere in the country. Saturday night in Death Valley. There’s nothing like it. It’s given everything to me. I couldn’t be more grateful.”

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Monday, December 16, 2019

page 15

Brees Purdue QB (1997-2000) 3rd place in Heisman voting

vs

Burrow LSU QB (2018-2019) 1st place in Heisman voting

2000 Passing Stats:

2019 Passing Stats:

Att: 512 Comp: 309 Comp %: 60.4 QB Rating: 132.5

Att: 439 Comp: 342 Comp %: 77.9 QB Rating: 201.5

Comp %

Yds: 3,668 Avg. Yds: 7.2 TDs: 26 Int: 12

Yds: 4,715 Avg. Yds: 10.7 TDs: 48 Int: 6

2000 Rushing Stats:

2019 Rushing Stats:

Att: 95 Avg. Yds: 5.5

Att: 95 Avg. Yds: 3.0

Yds: 521 TDs: 5

Rush Yds 521

77.9

Yds: 289 TDs: 3

Pass Yds

Int

4,715

12 Brees

3,668

60.9 289

6

Burrow

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