BATON ROUGE — After being granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA earlier this week, LSU football standout Kirston Pittman will speak to the Baton Rouge Bar Association at its luncheon on Thursday as part of the Shaquille O’Neal CHAMPS/Life Skills program.
Pittman will be speaking to the area attorneys at De La Ronde Hall on Third Street in downtown Baton Rouge during their luncheon which begins at 11:45 a.m. A 2007 graduate of LSU who earned his degree in general studies last December, Pittman will be speaking about academics, the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes and about his experience as a Tiger.
Pittman missed all of the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Tigers with a foot and ankle injuries but was granted an extension to his five-year eligibility clock on Monday by the NCAA. He will now be eligible to conclude his career next season after an outstanding 2007 campaign.
A defensive end from Garyville, La., Pittman signed with the Tigers in February of 2003 and saw action in 13 games as a true freshman during LSU’s run to the national title that year. Pittman played in 12 games as a sophomore in 2004 before missing all of 2005 and 2006 with injuries.
Pittman returned to the field in 2007 to once again help lead the Tigers to a national title. Pittman started all 14 games for LSU this past season, leading the team in sacks (8.0) and tackles for loss (13.5). Pittman also recorded 68 tackles to go with 14 quarterback hurries and an interception.
The CHAMPS (Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success)/Life Skills Program was designed by the NCAA to help student-athletes realize higher academic achievement, increase likelihood of graduation and enter a chosen profession with a higher level of vision, knowledge, motivation, self-responsibility and greater overall success. In Spring 2003, the CHAMPS/ Life Skills Program honored one of LSU’s most memorable graduates, Shaquille O’Neal, by naming the program after him.