DBU is far more than just a moniker. DBU is an abbreviation for “Defensive Backs University,” a title LSU claimed after demonstrating unparalleled performance from its defensive backs over the last 15 years or so. However, DBU isn’t just the great players and history. At LSU, DBU is a way of life.
Since 2007, no school has produced more defensive back talent than LSU. The Tigers lead the nation with 13 defensive backs drafted and 10 on current NFL rosters.
The DBU legacy runs deep. NFL stars like Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Reid, Ryan Clark, Corey Webster and Morris Claiborne serve as proud alumni of this prestigious fraternity.
In recent years under secondary coach Corey Raymond, defensive back production at LSU has been second to none. In the last five seasons, LSU’s defense has ranked in the top-20 every season in either passing efficiency or yardage, including two top-3 performances.
In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Peterson and Claiborne clinched LSU’s claim to DBU when they secured the Thorpe Award for the nation’s best defensive back in consecutive seasons.
In those same years, Peterson and Mathieu became the first pair of defensive backs from a school to secure the Bednarik Award for the best defender in college football in back-to-back seasons.
This season, senior safety Jalen Mills, junior cornerback Tre’Davious White and sophomore safety Jamal Adams are the faces of DBU. Last season, this trio anchored LSU’s passing defense, which ranked third in the country.
These players are aware of the legacy behind DBU, but they also know there is much more to it.
“The standard is set so high here,” Adams said. “It’s been a tradition set by tons of guys like Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Ryan Clark. We are really trying to hold that tradition and do something special just like them.”
“DBU is the brotherhood that we have,” White said. “It’s the way we carry ourselves on and off the field.”
For the last four years, LSU junior wide receiver Travin Dural has had a front row seat to DBU. He lines up directly across from them every day at practice. So, he knows exactly what makes the group special.
“Every year we have some of the best defensive backs coming in and coming out,” Dural said. “Some of the things you see in practice you won’t see on Saturdays because our DBs will be better than the guys we play.”
“Talent comes in and out of here,” Mills said. “The production goes with these guys going on to the NFL. They still make the plays that they made in college or better.”
Mills had an opportunity to join his comrades in the NFL after last season, but he decided to return to school for what he called some unfinished business.
“I just wanted to come back and give my all for LSU,” Mills said. “I gave them a lot, but I didn’t give them my all. For my senior year I wanted to show that.”
Mills came into LSU as an unheralded recruit from Texas. ESPN.com ranked him as the No. 126 cornerback and the No. 283 player in the state of Texas. But, Mills quickly proved the pundits wrong.
Mills surged into LSU’s starting lineup as a true freshman in 2012. He started all 13 games that season on his way to becoming a First-Team Freshman All-American. Mills went on to start all 39 games of his first three seasons before having his streak derailed by a leg injury earlier this year.
After missing the first five games of the season, Mills returned to the starting lineup on October 24 against Western Kentucky. His teammates were thrilled to have his seasoned mind back to command the defense.
“He knows every position on the field, even the linemen and ‘backers,” White said.
“He is sort of the quarterback of the defense. That’s a big boost. You can never go wrong with a guy like that.”
“He’s a great leader on and off the field,” Dural said of Mills. “He diagnoses plays really, really fast.”
While Mills was injured, a lot of his leadership role fell to White, who was more than up to the task. White dons the prestigious #18 jersey for the Tigers, awarded annually to the player who best displays leadership. White became the first defensive back selected for this jersey since Brandon Taylor in 2011.
“It’s great to know that we have a DB representing 18,” Adams said. “He’s doing a tremendous job for us.”
“He deserved it,” Dural said. “He’s a hard worker, and he’s been starting since he walked on campus.”
“He holds 18 to the high standards,” LSU senior linebacker Deion Jones said. “He works hard. He gets after it. He has a passion for what he does. He’s a great player.”
White’s play this season has further endorsed his selection for the jersey. He was named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award earlier this season.
White’s reputation of making good decisions on and off the field dates back way before he earned the 18 jersey. White was the valedictorian when he graduated from Green Oaks High School in 2013.
“I didn’t just want to be the athlete that everyone knows for running fast or making touchdowns,” White said. “I wanted to make a difference. School is just as, if not more important, than sports. It’s going to shape you for life.”
White is not the only Tiger known for being studious. Adams has built a reputation for himself for his studies in the film room.
“He’s a student of the game,” White said. “The guy is always in the film room. You need guys like that around because when the game comes they know what the offense is going to do before they do it.”
Following in Mills’ footsteps, Adams was also First-Team Freshman All American last season. Mills admired his tenacity and likes what he sees in the young safety.
“He is kind of similar to me,” Mills said. “He plays with a lot of emotion and a lot of passion.”
Adams was considered one of the top safety prospects in the country out of high school. Many believed he would go to Florida because his godfather, Joker Phillips, was coaching there. Adams said the reason he came to LSU was the same reason any outstanding defensive back should come to LSU.
“This is DBU, and it’s for top defensive backs,” Adams said. “There is no better secondary coach in the country than Coach Raymond.”