by RJ Marse
LSU Sports Information
Originally published in the LSU vs. Georgia Game Day Program (Oct. 25, 2008) | Buy Your Copy
The look in his eyes on the football field may lead you to believe Tyson Jackson has lost his mind, but that’s fine with him.
Jackson’s glare tends to have that effect on opponents. Just ask the Auburn offensive line.
“After the game, (Auburn defensive tackle) Sen’Derrick Marks told me that I had their offensive lineman scared of the way I was looking,” said Jackson. “They said, ?Man, this guy has to be crazy with the way he’s looking at us.’”
But the real reason for the senior defensive end’s intimidating stare is much more reasonable ? he’s a fierce, focused competitor whose motor never stops.
Jackson and fellow end Kirston Pittman, both seniors, are the latest in a long line of LSU defensive linemen to excel at their position and continue a successful tradition born from hard work and dedication.
Being a senior leader on the team is a role Pittman knows well. A sixth-year senior who has seen two SEC and BCS Championships at LSU, Pittman’s list of mentors reads like a list of LSU all-time greats.
“Being around the great ball players that have come here really helped me excel,” said Pittman. “(Former LSU and New England Patriots defensive lineman) Marquise Hill used to always tell me to be more aggressive… guys like Marcus Spears, Chad Lavalais, Michael Clayton and Corey Webster taught me how to be a great man, not just a great player.”
Pittman says the lessons he learned from former greats equipped him with the knowledge to now teach the younger members of the team what it means to be an LSU football player both on and off the field. Six years in a top flight football program have given the Garyville, La., native a unique perspective on a team full of teenagers.
“(The younger players) wouldn’t be able to understand the work we put in here at LSU without older guys like me showing them the right way to do it,” said Pittman.
“No matter the situation, you have to work hard. It doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says, you have to work hard. The foundation of LSU athletics — not just football — is hard work. That’s something that we thrive on.”
The results of the hard work Jackson, Pittman and their predecessors have put in are obvious; it’s the reason LSU has come to be known as “D-line U.”
It’s no secret that the Tigers have plenty of talent at their disposal up front. Players are constantly going on and off the field or switching positions along the line in between plays. Senior starters like Jackson take pride in the ability of their teammates and, when presented with the idea of a changing role, welcome it with open arms. To Jackson, it means he has an opportunity to face interior offensive linemen ? centers and guards ? who may not be prepared to square off against his 6-5, 290-lb. frame.
“I get a chance to give the offensive line a lot of different looks. Sometimes I can take advantage of a weakness on the offensive line if a guard or center isn’t capable of blocking me, I can adjust and go inside or outside,” said Jackson.
The willingness to adjust to the game plan is just one of a number of qualities a defensive lineman must have to be successful on the field for the Tigers. The most important, as any of them will tell you, is determination. They call it a non-stop motor. Kyle Williams had one. So did Glenn Dorsey. Recent evidence shows Jackson never stops, either.
Down 41-14 in the fourth quarter at Florida, junior defensive end Rahim Alem sacked Florida quarterback Tim Tebow as he was preparing to pass the ball. Tebow fumbled and Jackson, still hustling through the line, was in position to pick up the football and return it 18 yards to the Florida 31-yard line. The ensuing drive resulted in an LSU touchdown, bringing the score to 41-21 in favor of Florida.
Many will say it was a meaningless play and scoring drive when the game had already been lost. But a closer look shows that it’s a hallmark of the LSU defensive line. It’s easy to say you play hard no matter what the scoreboard says when it’s tilted in your favor, as is often the case for an LSU Tiger on the football field. But when the Tigers are down big — bigger than they’ve ever been under head coach Les Miles ? is when the true character and determination of a team emerges and the value of senior leadership is assured.
“As long as I’m on that field I’m going to keep fighting until the very end,” said Jackson.
“I don’t like losing in tic-tac-toe, so when we’re on the football field it doesn’t matter what the score is, I’m going full throttle and trying to make plays at all times for our defense.”
As Louisiana natives, Pittman and Jackson have extra motivation to play hard for all 60 minutes. Every home game, they play in front of family and friends and over 92,000 fellow Louisianians who want nothing more than a Tigers victory.
“You’re not only doing it for your teammates and your state, but you’re doing it for your family and friends at home, as well. It’s a blessing and I really try to take advantage of every opportunity that I have,” said Pittman.
As Louisiana natives, both players have also been through two seasons affected by hurricanes (2005 and 2008); experiences that have taught them just how much LSU football means to the state.
“Just being around the community you get people coming up to you and telling you they lost their house or car or worse, but just seeing us come out and play football brings out pride inside of them,” said Jackson. “They lost everything, but every Saturday night they could look forward to us playing in Tiger Stadium and, at least for as long as the game lasts, they’re happy.”
As recruits, neither knew the impact they could have on Louisiana as college students. Both spent their senior seasons in high school visiting other schools and favored other national programs at first.
“It wasn’t LSU until about a week away from signing day,” said Pittman, who was more interested in Michigan and Miami early in his senior season.
“I came here to take an official visit and I met with (former LSU head coach) Nick Saban and (former LSU defensive coordinator) Will Mushcamp and walked around and toured the campus. Two or three days before signing day I told my family I was going to LSU. I think it was God guiding me and leading me to where I needed to be. I’m very grateful that I came here.”
In his six years at LSU, Pittman has experienced several title games and dozens of conference battles. Fittingly, the one game he remembers most fondly was against Saturday’s opponent: the Georgia Bulldogs.
On Sep. 20, 2003, Pittman’s first season as a Tiger, 11th-ranked LSU hosted No. 7 Georgia in a hard-fought, physical battle between two of the best teams in the country. The Tigers won, 17-10, in thrilling fashion on a late touchdown pass from Matt Mauck to Skyler Green.
“That was the first taste I got of the home stadium and the loud crowd… I actually had the opportunity to make a few plays in that game and get some hits on the quarterback,” said Pittman.
“I knew that season we were destined for something big.”
If the Tigers can knock off the ?Dawgs at home again, the 2008 team may be destined for greatness, too.