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Anthony Johnson was the first LSU underclassman to officially declare for the draft this off season. Ego Ferguson has also confirmed plans to enter the draft this year. Ego did not travel with the team to the Outback Bowl for reasons that are still unclear. In an interview with his high school coach, he is said to have missed the game due to "a banged-up knee and other 'needs back home,' " Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are both widely rumored to declare soon, but LSU has not been able to confirm that at this time, despite Les Miles' own comments in an Outback Bowl postgame radio interview that it had been the last time the WR duo would play for the Tigers. From the same report, JC Copeland became the first LSU senior to receive his invite to the NFL Combine
Before the Bowl game, The Advocate had a great profile of Doug Aucoin and the work he does as LSU's Video Director, a position he's held since the DiNardo administration.
In NFL news, Patrick Peterson has made his 3rd pro bowl. Brad Wing was signed by the Steelers last week, meaning that all 11 of LSU's early draft exits from last season are currently on an NFL Roster. Here's a summary of where they all are:
OT Chris Faulk, Browns, injured in training camp, spent 2013 on IR
RB Michael Ford, Bears, no starts, but became a special teams regular in the 2nd half of the season
DT Bennie Logan, Eagles, started every game since Week 9, including this past weekend's playoff game
CB Tyrann Mathieu, Cardinals, started every game until tearing his ACL in Wk 14, named to the Rookie All-Pro team and is still a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
LB Barkevious Mingo, Browns, after dealing with a lung injury in the preseason, played 15 games
LB Kevin Minter, Cardinals, played in 13 games
DE Sam Montgomery, Raiders, drafted by Houston, then injured in practiced and put on waivers for off the field issues, currently on IR with the Raiders
S Eric Reid, 49ers, started all but one game this season
CB Tharold Simon, Seahawks, on IR since August
RB Spencer Ware, Seahawks, played sparingly
P Brad Wing, Steelers, failed to beat out LSU punting legend Donnie Jones in Eagles camp in the 2013 preseason, Signed to futures-reserve contract by Pittsburgh.
ESPN is offering at least 7 different simultaneous live broadcasts of the National Championship game tonight. USA Today took a look behind the scenes at the massive operation.
Ryan Theriot announced his retirement from baseball yesterday at the age of 34. A member of the 2000 National Championship team, Theriot has 2 World Series rings as a journeyman infielder for the Cardinals in 2011 and the Giants in 2012. Theriot is (to the best of my research) the only man in the history of baseball to score the game and series winning run in the World Series and College World Series.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame will add former Tigers OL Alan Faneca and basketball head coach Richard "Moon" Ducote in it's 2014 class.
Got a report from the SB Nation mothership last week that I'd like to share. Here are 2013's most prolific commenters on ATVS
Most Comments
Billy Gomila 3200
MikeDeTiger 2805
Jake Nazar 1714
PodKATT 1643
njccc 1531
wadewilson 1508
ScrumhalfVinny 1355
GeauxTiger 1194
Poseur 1119
olewarskule 1011
First draft 3D version of South EZ expansion. Hope to have more in the new year. pic.twitter.com/ocI09yJIm3
— Brian Broussard (@broussardbrian) December 16, 2013
God blesses pic.twitter.com/BXQ2syoc2V
— LSU-PUNISHER#44 (@JC_PUNISHER_GA) January 3, 2014