Top 101 LSU football players of all time: No. 40-31
Over the summer, I began a countdown of the top 101 players in the history of LSU football. The season began and it got lost in the shuffle, but now that LSU’s on a bye, there’s some time to pick it back up.
Today, we’re looking at No. 40-31 on the list. It features a couple of hard-hitting safeties, a few offensive linemen, as well as some of the best receivers LSU’s had to offer.
With that in mind, let’s continue the list. But first, just some reminders on the criteria used to construct the all-time list.
I’ve tried my best to avoid recency bias
Emphasis was placed on players who received accolades such as All-American
Players who made contributions over multiple seasons were given slight edges over players who had one elite year
No. 40 - Jamal Adams
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
[autotag]Jamal Adams[/autotag] arrived at LSU as one of the top safety recruits in America and saw plenty of action in his freshman year. In 2014, on his freshman campaign, he recorded five tackles for a loss and a sack while breaking up four passes.
He followed up a stellar debut year with four picks in 2015 and a forced fumble to go along with his 5.5 tackles for a loss. 2016 was his best year yet, earning second-team All-American honors.
He was selected top five in the NFL draft, where he’s been All-Pro on three occasions.
No. 39 - Al Richardson
Al Richardson. LSU. SEC THROWBACK. pic.twitter.com/5hUwHlc9Dj
— RobSoundsGood (@RobSoundsGood) November 15, 2021
Richardson was a tackling machine, recording at least 120 tackles in three of his seasons. He had five picks during his time at LSU and earned All-American honors in 1982.
He was part of a unit that was second in the conference in scoring defense, helping LSU finish the year No. 11 in the AP Poll.
No. 38 - Terry Robiskie
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Robiskie is a member of LSU’s Hall of Fame. He’s eighth in school history in rushing yards and seventh in rushing touchdowns.
I’m putting him this high because he was the first player in LSU history to have a 1,000-yard rushing season and he did that while splitting carries with Charles Alexander. He led the SEC in rushing touchdowns in 1975 and 1976.
He played a few years in the NFL before an injury shortened his career.
No. 37 - LaRon Landry
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Landry was All-SEC in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, he was a consensus All-American as well. He’s getting a lot of credit here for the mere fact that he started 48 consecutive games.
He made an impact as a freshman, when he was apart of LSU’s 2003 national title team. Landry went on to be selected sixth overall in the NFL draft.
No. 36 - Andrew Whitworth
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Whitworth took a redshirt year in 2001, but when he hit the field in 2002, he made an immediate impact. Like Landry, he was key piece on LSU’s title team in 2003. He was a four-year starter and was an all-conference selection in 2004 and 2005.
He was drafted in the second-round of the NFL Draft and played in the league from 2006-21.
No. 35 - La'el Collins
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We’re going with back-to-back offensive linemen. He saw some action as a freshmen before taking over left guard as a sophomore.
He excelled his final two years as he bumped out to left tackle and was first-team All-SEC in 2014. He’s probably the best offensive lineman LSU has had since Nick Saban left, and he has been a positive contributor in the NFL for over five years now.
No. 34 - Eric Andolsek
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Andolsek was a stalwart on LSU’s offensive line in the ’80s. He was a freshman All-American in 1984 and went on to be a first-team All-SEC in 1986 and 1987.
He was drafted and eventually earned a starting role with the Detroit Lions, helping to clear holes for Barry Sanders. Andolsek was killed in 1992 when he was struck by a truck that had gone off-road. He was only 25 years old.
No. 33 - John Seip
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
We’re going way, way back with this one. Seip played for LSU from 1907-09 and was one of the first great Tigers and really one of the great players of this era.
He was a critical part of an LSU team that went undefeated in 1908. He was later inducted into LSU’s Hall of Fame.
No. 32 - Michael Clayton
(Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Clayton is second in program history in receptions, fourth in receiving yards and sixth in touchdowns. That combined with the fact that he was LSU’s leading receiver during the 2003 title campaign is why I’ve placed him so high.
He was All-SEC in 2003 and a third-team All-American. In 2001, he was one of the better freshmen in the sport, making an impact from the moment he stepped on campus.
He was selected in the first-round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
No. 31 - Andy Hamilton
(Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
Hamilton was the first real prolific receiver in LSU history. He was doing things in the passing game that you’d expect to see in modern-day football, but not things you’d expect to see in the 60s and 70s.
Upon completing his career, Hamilton had set LSU records in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was second in the SEC in receiving yards in 1970 and 1971 and fifth in the NCAA in touchdowns in 1971.
Hamilton was selected 97th overall by the Chiefs and played in the NFL for a few years, including a stint with the New Orleans Saints.
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