Tiger tales: Jeffrey Marx, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter, has written a tribute to former LSU quarterback Bert Jones. Jones, an All-American at LSU in the early 1970s, turns 60 today. Marx was 11 in 1974, when he met Jones, then a first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts. “Bert is not supposed to have lines on his face and grandchildren to visit. He is supposed to be throwing bullets and fighting for first downs—lifting up teammates and even whole communities with weekly proof that just about anything is possible on a field of play,” says Marx. Read the essay here.
A good start to the season: LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu has been named the Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week for his performance in LSU’s 40-27 win over Oregon. Mathieu, a sophomore from New Orleans, scored LSU’s first touchdown of the game when he stripped the ball from an Oregon punt returner and ran three yards for the score. He had a team-high 10 tackles and two breakups in the game, his second career start. Mathieu was named defensive player of the week by the SEC and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
