BATON ROUGE — LSU running back LaBrandon Toefield, a First Team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2001, will forgo his senior season and will enter the NFL Draft, he announced on Monday.
Toefield, a native of Independence, becomes LSU’s fourth early entry into the NFL Draft in the last three years. Last year, wide receiver Josh Reed and linebacker Trev Faulk both came out early as did quarterback Josh Booty following the 2000 season. Reed was drafted in the second round, Booty in the sixth and Faulk went undrafted.
“I just felt it was the right time,” Toefield said on Monday. “I have been through a lot with my injuries over the years. Right now I am healthy. I talked it over with my family and they are behind me 100 percent. I’ve had a wonderful time at LSU. The coaches have been great, the fans are the best and I’ve really enjoyed the friendships that I have made with my teammates. It’s just the right time for me to go.”
In three years with the Tigers, Toefield rushed for 2,149 yards and 26 touchdowns, including a career-best 992 yards and a SEC-record tying 19 TDs as a sophomore in 2001. In 2002, Toefield rushed for 475 yards and two touchdowns despite missing four games with a broken arm.
“Toe was an outstanding member of this program for the three years that we coached him,” LSU coach Nick Saban said. “He’s a great team player and he always did whatever was necessary to help this team be successful. We’re going to support him in every way that we can and we certainly wish him the best of luck.”
Toefield earned First Team Freshman All-America honors from the Sporting News in 2000 after rushing for 682 yards and five TDs. Toefield was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 119 yards and a pair of TDs in LSU’s 45-38 overtime win over Mississippi State.
A year later, Toefield earned the league’s offensive player of the week following a 173-yard, three-touchdown performance in LSU’s 41-38 victory over Arkansas. Toefield suffered a torn ACL in his left knee against Tennessee in the SEC Championship game and missed the Tigers’ 47-34 victory over Illinois in the Sugar Bowl.
For his career, Toefield rushed for 100 yards seven times, including a career-high of 183 yards in LSU’s win over Utah State in 2001. Toefield capped his career with 67 yards rushing on 22 carries against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Toefield also caught a 20-yard TD pass against the Longhorns, the only receiving touchdown of his career.