I consider myself to be very knowledgeable about LSU football, yet somehow I have gone to this point without knowing that sophomore LSU running back Richard Murphy lost both of his parents to cancer before he ever enrolled at LSU.

An average teenager might have crumbled in the face of such calamities. But Richard Murphy wasn't an average teenager, and his isn't an average family, according to his high school coach, Bo Barton.

"He handled both things [mother's death and his own serious knee injury] in about as mature a fashion as you could possibly handle them," Barton said. "He had so many struggles. While I think he was the best player I've had, he's also one of my all-time favorite kids."

He must not be a complainer at all for that to have escaped notice for the three years he's been on the LSU radar.

I also never knew he had 8 older brothers and sisters, who according to the article, are a rather accomplished bunch.