Deangelo Peterson is Poised to Face Any Obstacle
Fourth and one from the Alabama 25-yard line. With the 12th-ranked Tigers trailing the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide 14-13 in the fourth quarter last season, head coach Les Miles utilized a time out. The conventional options to run up the middle or throw a play action pass were not in the cards. A two-toss reverse that was first pitched to Stevan Ridley and then reversed to tight end Deangelo Peterson brought the Tigers to the Alabama goal line, which led to a touchdown and eventually propelled LSU to a 24-21 victory.
“We practiced that play on the goal line, so I thought Coach Miles was going to call that play one yard out of the end zone,” Peterson said. “When I heard that he called it from 25 yards out, I was surprised. I had no choice but to go out there and run. I thought I was going to get in. I tried to cut back in on the right side and got caught.”
Peterson, a New Orleans native, traveled a long and adversity-filled journey to become one of the nation’s top tight ends and part-owner of one of the most memorable plays in the Tigers’ history.
Both Peterson and LSU defensive end Lavar Edwards were students at Desire Street Academy in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina rocked the young athletes’ world and reshaped their future. Peterson and his family did not evacuate New Orleans until after the storm made landfall and spent a week trying to survive before they were able to leave the city.
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“I was 16 at the time and it helped me mature as a man,” Peterson said. “It was a rough couple of days for me. I try to put it behind me. We were stuck down there for a couple of days. I had to find stuff and food for my family to eat. The whole experience was rough. I was providing for my family at an early age. I had to make sure nothing happened to them and that we got out of there safe.”
Following Peterson’s exit from New Orleans, he moved between San Antonio, Mississippi and Tennessee over the next few weeks before he and Edwards relocated with their team to Niceville, Florida, where Desire Street Academy reopened that October.
“The experience prepared me for college,” Peterson said. “When we moved to Florida I was away from my family for a whole year. All we had was our teammates, coaches and teachers. For us changing over to college, we were already used to being away from our family. It helped us to understand how it is to live on your own and adapt to different places.”
Desire Street operated in New Orleans, Niceville and Baton Rouge, which allowed Peterson and Edwards to remain teammates and close friends all four years of high school despite the three different locations.
“We talk about the things we did in high school all the time,” Edwards said. “We were ready to be on our own in a sense. When we got to college, it wasn’t a big transition from high school to college because we were already accustomed to things such as living on your own and making decisions for yourself. We’ve lived together the first three years we’ve been in college. We always reminisce about high school and other experiences.”
The closeness between the two athletes and the lure of playing in front of hometown fans were contributing factors in Peterson’s and Edward’s decisions to attend LSU.
“It meant a lot coming back to LSU,” Peterson said. “Lavar and I talked about what school we were going to go to. For us to be able to have an opportunity to play in Louisiana helped out a lot in the recruiting process.”
A consensus four-star athlete coming out of high school as one of the top receivers in the country, Peterson played sparingly on special teams his freshman season at LSU and made the transition to tight end the following spring.
The move to tight end was rough at first, but the appealing physical aspect of the position combined with coaching helped Peterson work his way into the starting lineup.
“Technique, understanding blocking schemes and who to block was the hardest to learn,” Peterson said. “What helped me a lot was the arrival of (tight ends coach) Steve Ensminger. I think he is one of the best coaches I have ever had in my whole life. He sat down with me and really taught me technique. He is one of the all- around good guys.”
One of the most reliable targets on the football field, Peterson played in all 13 games his sophomore season and recorded five catches for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He began taking shape as a full-time tight end target during his junior season. He missed three games due to an ankle injury and still amassed 16 catches for 198 yards.
“I bring another target for our quarterback,” Peterson said. “I can be a speed run blocker as well as a power run blocker at times. I think the biggest thing I provide is a big target for our quarterback.”
Through the first four games of this season, Peterson has caught six balls for 73 yards and a touchdown against Northwestern State. Football experts as well as the coaching staff view Peterson’s role during his senior season as a vital piece to LSU’s offensive puzzle.
“He is in his final campaign,” Miles said. “He is bigger, stronger and faster than he has been in the past. It’s his time. He really is making the best of it. He goes to work and works hard every day. He’s a great teammate.”
As his senior season winds down, Peterson will miss more than just the football aspect of his time at LSU.
“The biggest thing looking back on my career will be the time I spent with my teammates,” Peterson said. “Most nights we will be hanging out at the house, watching movies and clowning around. That’s what I’ll really miss.”
Regardless of the situation or where the ball is on the field, look for LSU to call Peterson’s No. 19. He may just make the big play that makes Tiger Stadium the best place to compete in the country.