by Ryan Rogers
LSUsports.net
What a difference a week makes in the LSU football community. Fans were disappointed over LSU’s 1-2 SEC start just two weeks ago and wondering if high expectations would be left unfulfilled by the Tigers.
After last Saturday’s 42-0 thrashing of Mississippi State in Starkville, LSU finds itself right where the experts predicted. The Tigers are in the hunt for the SEC West title and a win tonight can move LSU into second place in the division.
More importantly, the Tigers answered a lot of questions last week, and all of them produced positive answers about the character and capabilities of the 2001 squad. The defense pitched its first shutout on the road since 1997 when LSU crushed Alabama, 27-0. The Tigers not only blanked Mississippi State — they also pressured the quarterback, contained the passing game and eliminated the running game, which is what everyone thought they could do all along.
Leading the charge on the rejuvenated defense is junior linebacker Trev Faulk. It was a big week for accolades in the life of this Tiger linebacker. Faulk was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Mississippi State, which included 13 tackles and two quarterback pressures. Faulk was also named a semi-finalist for the prestigious Butkus Award that is given out each year to the nation’s best linebacker. Not a bad week for the Lafayette, La., native who is willing to sacrifice anything for the good of the team.
“I’m honored to receive the acknowledgments that I’ve gotten this past week, but I’m only worried about the team,” Faulk said. “I know last week I helped the team win and that’s all I care about right now.”
When describing Trev Faulk as both a player and a person, the expression “practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect” comes to mind. Faulk is one of the hardest working players on LSU’s team.
It’s not just the way he hustles in practice or lifts weights or plays every down Monday through Saturday with the same intensity. It’s also the way he attentively listens to his coaches on the practice field or in film study meetings, or the way he has the unquenchable desire to be a better football player.
Faulk takes every play in practice as seriously as a fourth-and-goal with one second on the clock and an SEC game on the line. Intensity may not be a strong enough word to describe his game preparation regimen.
For Faulk, it produces dividends on Saturday, as he leads LSU with 63 tackles, 40 of them solo stops.
He is a rare blend of God-given talent and self-given desire to be the best player he can be, and for his hard work No. 7 may be No. 1 at his position.
If you walk around the LSU football locker room you will see a quote on the wall that says, “Football doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”
Luckily for LSU, Faulk has been exposed as an ethical paradigm on the Tigers’ squad. He has a great attitude about football, and he is a gentleman and scholar off the field. Always polite in conversation and a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Faulk is the epitome of the student-athlete.
Last spring, the Tigers voted Faulk one of three team captains, which is not surprising since it’s obvious his teammates have a great deal of respect and admiration for him.
Faulk credits his mother for his leadership abilities.
“I definitely get that from my mom. She is the leader of the family,” Faulk explained. “I’m the youngest of seven kids and she ran the household and kept us together. I learned what it took to be a leader from watching her be so strong.”
When college coaches are seeking talent at linebacker in the high school ranks they look for an aggressive ball hunter with a certain mentality that can’t be taught. Faulk has that attribute. He has a great nose for the football and an even better awareness of how to make plays.
“I think it’s just instinct. I’m hungry for the football, and I love to hit people,” Faulk said. “My teammates around me make me so much better. Sometimes it’s a challenge to see if I can get to the ball carrier first on this team with so many great players. We have relentless pursuit that helps us tremendously.”
It’s said that every player has a defining moment in his career which determines how his legacy will be remembered. Although it may not have been a very significant play, Faulk showed everyone what he was made of at Alabama in 1999. As a true freshman, Faulk stood up and drove Alabama
Heisman Trophy candidate Shaun Alexander to the ground on a third-and-goal from the two-yard line. Faulk was a virtual unknown in the SEC, while Alexander was the league’s most heralded player in 1999.
After watching Faulk bury Alexander, LSU fans realized he was a potential star.
One year later, Faulk found himself on the all-SEC first team and a fixture on LSU’s defense, where he stands today helping the Tigers progress toward their goal of winning the Western Division.
Behind Faulk’s performance, the LSU defense stifled Mississippi State last week, bringing hope that the unit has turned the corner toward becoming a dominant force.
“We didn’t panic and we didn’t give up,” Faulk explained. “We knew we were capable of playing much better on defense. We had success last year, and with 10 starters coming back for some reason we weren’t clicking on defense. We had a great week of practice prior to the Mississippi State game, and I know that contributed to our success on the field. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the season. It was our best effort and we had the enthusiasm out there that we hadn’t had in a while.”
Many may think that playing under three different defensive coordinators in three years has been a burden on Faulk and other Tiger players, but he doesn’t see it that way at all.
“I think it’s helped me mature working with three different personalities,” Faulk said. “All three really taught me a lot. Coach (Lou) Tepper was really disciplined, Coach (Phil) Elmassian stressed aggressiveness, and Coach (Gary) Gibbs has made me a smarter player.”
Like most players, Faulk has accumulated a number of great memories on the field at LSU and in Tiger Stadium, especially. It’s also the memories and good times off the field that Faulk cherishes.
“I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here at LSU going through the good times and bad times,” Faulk said. “But really the biggest thing I will take from LSU is the friends that I’ve made. I’ve met so many great people that I know I will always be in touch with.”
If the Tigers are going to kick it in high gear and challenge for the SEC West title, they will likely have to win the remaining games on their schedule. In order to prevail in this difficult challenge, the locker room will have to be full of believers. With that being said, count Trev Faulk in.
“Really, we just have to take them one at a time,” he said. “But I think it’s possible. It’s a real tough conference, but that’s why every player in this conference chose to play here. You know in the SEC you are going to play great teams every week. I know we can do this. This team is strong enough to rise to the challenge.”