LSU Gold

#86 Robert Royal Season 2000

Position
Tight End
Height
6'5
Weight
231
Class
Senior
Hometown
New Orleans, La.
High School
Karr HS
  • 2001 Second Team All-SEC (AP)
  • 2000 All-SEC, First Team (SEC Coaches)
  • 2000 All-SEC, Second Team (AP)

SENIOR SEASON (2001)
Big, athletic tight end that LSU used to stretch the defense … Caught 18 passes for 224 yards and 1 TD as a senior … Closed out career with 2 catches for 15 yards, including a 7-yard TD reception, in 47-34 victory over Illinois in the Sugar Bowl … Caught 5 passes for 72 yards vs. Utah State … Scored TD vs. Tulane … Snapped a streak of 2 games without a reception with a 23-yard catch vs. Ole Miss … Ranks third in school history among tight ends in receptions (59) and yards (707) and is second in career TDs (7) … Holds LSU tight end record for TDs in a season with 5 in 2000 … Named to the Playboy All-America Pre-Season Team … Drafted in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.

JUNIOR SEASON (2000): Set an LSU record for tight ends with five touchdown receptions … Finished the year ranked fourth on the squad with 22 catches for 340 yards and five scores, four of which came in SEC action … Scored a pair of touchdowns, including the game winner against Alabama … Finished with three receptions for 71 yards, including a 50-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter that setup what proved to be the game-winning touchdown two plays later against the Crimson Tide … Caught at least one pass in all 11 regular-season games … Had three catches against Houston, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama … Caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime on a 25-yard strike from Rohan Davey in LSU’s 38-31 victory over Tennessee … Also scored against Houston and Florida … Turned in cleats for basketball shoes in January and played in five games for the LSU men’s basketball team before retiring from the sport in late January … In five games with the basketball team, played 37 minutes and scored 10 points (2.0 per game) to go along with six rebounds (1.2 per game).

SOPHOMORE SEASON (1999): The Tigers’ primary f-back for the entire season … In starting lineup at Miss. State … Missed Alabama game due to injury … One of the best receiving threats for LSU in 1999 … Also a key member on special teams … Finished four on the team in receptions … Had 19 catches for 143 yards, including a touchdown … Had his best game at Miss. State where he caught three passes for 43 yards, including a long reception of 18 yards … Had a solid performance against Florida in which he caught two passes for 18 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown … Also made four tackles on special teams.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON (1998): Played in nine games as a reserve f-back and did not record statistics … Valuable blocker … Saw action on 120 plays on offense and 42 on special teams … Special teams action came on kickoff return and punt return units … Missed first 2 games as he recovered from a hernia.

HIGH SCHOOL: Posted 80 tackles and five sacks at defensive end his senior year … Mostly used as a blocker, but did catch nine passes for 177 yards, for an average of 19.7 yards per catch his senior season … Karr finished with a 5-6 record in ’96 … Coached by Don Wattigny.

PERSONAL: Full name is Robert Shelton Royal, Jr. … Born on May 15, 1979 in New Orleans, La. … Parents are Robert and Anette Royal … Has one sister, Alleaney … Set to graduate in August of 2001 with a degree in Kinesiology.

Full Bio