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Back on track...

Andrew Pinnock, RB, South Carolina

He never ran for a lot of yards, but he was a big boy and always fell forward.  His only 2 100-yard games were against Vanderbilt.  I just remember thinking it must not be too much fun tackling him.  250 lb RB, wore #4 for the Gamecocks.

Yeah, a 2x All-American isn't exactly what the spirit of the thread is really about.....

How about a guy who was really good and had a great career but whom most people wouldn't know?  Does that fit the spirit of the thread?

Kevin Mawae is one of my favorite Tigers of all time, easily top 3, if not #1.  Great, great attitude, and a great player to boot.  He was recruited to the "glamour position" for O-linemen, left tackle, but things changed and circumstances dictated such and such, and he wound up playing center for LSU.  His position wasn't the only thing that changed, as Mawae signed up to an LSU team that had just won a pair of SEC championships to cap the 80's, only to watch the team fall into a pit that was LSU football of the 90's.  A 4-year starter, Mawae played on some truly wretched college teams, although he distinguished himself rather well.  He went on to a 16 year career at center in the NFL, was an 8 (?) time Pro-Bowler and 6 or 7 time All-Pro, and he also served as president of the NFL Players Association for little while.  

After football he's continued to be somewhat of a friend and ambassador for the LSU program.  He applied for the open O-line coaching job a few seasons ago but wasn't hired.  He's currently some kind of offensive analyst at Arizona State, and I hope he does well and moves into coaching where he has expressed interest.  Don't know what kind of position coach he'd make, but I hope he succeeds in whatever he's doing, out there with the SunDevils or anywhere else he winds up.  

He is under the radar for most fans though.
He's my hero.

idk about that, he's linked with Terry Kinard (Clemson) as the best early-80s safeties that I'm aware of outside the city of Los Angeles.

I knew of him as a pro - had no idea he went to LSU.  

Oddly, during the worst decade in program history, LSU probably fielded its most outstanding OLs in program history.  I mean, we've had plenty of good ones in the up years, even guys who do well in the NFL, but the 90's gave us Mawae, Alan Faneca, and Todd McClure.  NFL studs and complete beasts in college.....they just played on some really crappy LSU teams.  Even our best OLs of the last 20 years don't measure up to those guys, I don't think.  

In a weird quirk of the quantum vacuum, did you know that half the state of Louisiana--probably about 2 million people--were in Tiger Stadium for that '97 game to see LSU upend #1 ranked and perennial Tiger tormentor, the Florida Gators?  Even though the place held around 80k at the time or so.  

Just ask them.  Everybody was there.  Everybody saw it.  

I wasn't.

Dammit.  

How about a guy who was really good and had a great career but whom most people wouldn't know?  Does that fit the spirit of the thread?

Kevin Mawae is one of my favorite Tigers of all time, easily top 3, if not #1.  Great, great attitude, and a great player to boot.  He was recruited to the "glamour position" for O-linemen, left tackle, but things changed and circumstances dictated such and such, and he wound up playing center for LSU.  His position wasn't the only thing that changed, as Mawae signed up to an LSU team that had just won a pair of SEC championships to cap the 80's, only to watch the team fall into a pit that was LSU football of the 90's.  A 4-year starter, Mawae played on some truly wretched college teams, although he distinguished himself rather well.  He went on to a 16 year career at center in the NFL, was an 8 (?) time Pro-Bowler and 6 or 7 time All-Pro, and he also served as president of the NFL Players Association for little while.  

After football he's continued to be somewhat of a friend and ambassador for the LSU program.  He applied for the open O-line coaching job a few seasons ago but wasn't hired.  He's currently some kind of offensive analyst at Arizona State, and I hope he does well and moves into coaching where he has expressed interest.  Don't know what kind of position coach he'd make, but I hope he succeeds in whatever he's doing, out there with the SunDevils or anywhere else he winds up.  

I love that we have this dude on our staff, even just as a lowly "analyst" which have a lot of limitations on the amount of direct coaching they can give. Looking through his twitter he is through and through all for ASU though as if he was the school's biggest fan which is very cool to see.