In Baton Rouge, the No. 18 jersey is the highest honor an LSU football player can receive. Tiger legends such as Tre’Davious White, Foster Moreau and Lloyd Cushenberry III have all proudly been spotted wearing the number over recent years.
“The No. 18 is the player who brings all those traits of someone who leads in an extraordinary manner,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said last offseason. “The attention to detail, great focus, represents the program in a positive way in the classroom, in the community and on the field.”
LSU linebacker Greg Penn III was one of two players selected by Kelly to wear this prestigious number for the 2024 season. Penn embodies Kelly’s description of how the No. 18 player should act. Off the field, his family is his top priority. On the field, he carries this same familial attitude toward his LSU teammates.
“Wearing 18 means everything for me,” Penn said. “Knowing the players who wore it before me and what they represented, I don’t want to let them down. It’s truly an honor to wear the number.”
Penn is in the midst of his fourth and final season at LSU. He knew Baton Rouge was home from the beginning, committing to LSU straight out of DeMatha Catholic High School near Baltimore, Md. Penn is far from the only standout athlete to come from the school. New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young graduated from DeMatha just three seasons before Penn. DeMatha alumni also include former NFL running back Brian Westbrook and NBA shooting guard Victor Oladipo.
Penn’s No. 18 selection did not come as a massive surprise considering he was awarded the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl “Make It Happen” Award ahead of last season’s bowl game against Wisconsin. The award, given to the player who typifies leadership both on and off the field, foreshadowed Penn’s No. 18 selection.
“I try to lead by example, but also to be a vocal leader on the team,” Penn said about his leadership style. “You can’t talk to every teammate the same way, so you have to know how to approach each teammate. Telling them what they need to hear is the most important thing.”
The 2024 Tiger defense has created 12 takeaways through the first eight games. That number is much improved from where the unit was at this point last year. LSU’s defense has caused much more chaos for opposing offenses. Many credit this improvement to the new defensive staff led by coordinator Blake Baker.
“Attacking the ball more,” Penn pointed out as the key to creating havoc defensively. “It starts with players always talking about getting the ball out and being aggressive. In my opinion, the biggest difference from last year to this year is the buy-in from everyone. We know last year wasn’t the standard for LSU defense.”
Although 2024 is Baker’s first season as the defensive coordinator, it is not his first season coaching at LSU. Baker was the linebackers coach at LSU for Penn’s freshman year in 2021. Baker has been credited for his role in the development and breakout of former LSU linebacker Damone Clark, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys. Penn and Clark formed a strong bond during their one season together.
“That’s a guy that I still talk to today,” Penn said about Clark. “I ask him for advice about things on and off the field, and he does the same for me. He’s like my brother.”
Despite the 2023 defense not meeting the LSU Tiger standard, Penn was a standout player on the squad. He recorded two interceptions, four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss along with finishing fourth on the team in solo tackles. This season, Penn is second on the team in tackles only behind fellow linebacker, Whit Weeks.
“I would say that the biggest strength of mine is being a downhill linebacker,” Penn said. “I take pride in bringing physicality to our defense. I am also a much smarter player than I was when I was younger. I know what offenses want to do and how they plan on doing it.”
Penn has had quite an eventful college career. He has been a part of two 10-win seasons and played in the 2022 SEC Championship Game. Penn has been a key contributor for the Tigers in multiple all-time classic wins, including two home victories over top 10 Ole Miss teams and a triumph over a Top 10 Alabama squad.
“My favorite memory is probably the Alabama game in 2022” Penn said. “The overall atmosphere of Death Valley and everybody storming the field, it was crazy.”
Penn and Tiger fans alike hope to recreate that magic on November 9, 2024. This will be the first time Alabama has returned to Death Valley since that legendary game. On top of it already being an historic SEC rivalry, the game itself has major SEC and College Football Playoff implications. The loser of the game will receive its third loss of the season, effectively eliminating it from postseason contention. The winner will earn a huge resume boosting win and still be very much in the College Football Playoff and SEC championship hunt.
“(Jalen) Milroe’s a great player,” Penn said about the Alabama quarterback. “Another great challenge for us defensively. They have a lot of the same personnel as last year.”
LSU is coming off a hard-fought loss in College Station, Texas, two weekends ago. The game was only the Tigers’ first conference loss of the season, leaving them still squarely in the SEC title race. The Tigers will need leaders like Penn to step up for the season’s final stretch.
A huge part of being No. 18 is looking out for the younger players on the team. In 2021, Clark took Penn under his wing. Now that Penn is a senior leader, he also embraces this responsibility.
“I try to lead all the younger guys,” Penn said. “Especially the ones in the linebacker room like Davhon Keys and Xavier Atkins. I just try to show these guys what was shown to me when I got here. Letting them know what the standard is and that it is very important.”
Penn’s actions as a player directly tie into his personal life. When asked about who he was off the field, Penn gave a simple yet incredibly telling response.
“Something that I want people to know is that I am extremely family-oriented,” Penn said. “I try to make sure that my family is always taken care of.”
What’s intriguing about the response is how it ties together Greg Penn, the football player, to Greg Penn, the person. Penn refers to many of his current and former teammates as “like brothers” to him.
When describing his leadership style, he pointed out the importance of recognizing the different ways he has to speak to different teammates. These communication skills go hand-in-hand with someone who prides himself on being a family-oriented individual.
The LSU tradition of the No. 18 jersey holds tremendous importance to the program. With players like Greg Penn III carrying the torch into the 2024 season and beyond, it is safe to say that the tradition is in great hands.