From 1996, when Tulane University joined Conference USA, until 2002, the Green Wave have won 41 games and one conference championship. In that same span, LSU has won 52 games, one Southeastern Conference title and three SEC West division championships. Based on the accomplishments of both programs, who would transfer from the Tigers to the Green Wave? The answer is Lester Ricard. When the Denham Springs native came out of high school in 2002, Rivals.com rated him as the nation’s No. 5 quarterback. He threw for 2,421 yards and 23 touchdowns his senior season at Amite High School and led the Warriors to the semifinals of the Class-3A playoffs. Several state universities like Tulane and LSU heavily recruited Ricard coming out of high school. In the end, he chose LSU and redshirted for the Tigers in the 2002 season, one season after Rohan Davey led LSU to an SEC championship and Sugar Bowl victory. Ricard said despite what many people may think, he was given a fair shot in Baton Rouge. “In the spring going into my redshirt-freshman season, Coach [Nick] Saban and Coach [Jimbo] Fisher gave me a lot of reps with [with the first and second teams],” he said in a Tuesday press conference. “It was as fair as it gets. I’m not going to complain. I was in a situation where it was a crowded house. If one stands out more than the other, you get to play.” But Ricard said the possibility of a quarterback debate was the main reason he decided to move his collegiate football career southeast to New Orleans. “LSU is a place where controversy with quarterbacks is always alive, and I didn’t want to have to go through that for four years and put myself and my family and people who I love through that type of stress,” he said. Tulane coach Chris Scelfo said when Ricard decided to transfer, the decision to accept him was easy. “At that time [out of high school], he made a decision that he thought was best for him,” Scelfo said. “I know we’re not big on taking transfers – at least since I’ve been here. The ones that we take are guys we recruited really hard [out of high school], get to know them really well and know their character. We already knew everything about [Lester].” Ricard sat out the 2003 season because of NCAA regulations regarding transfer student-athletes. That same season the Tigers went 13-1 en route to the school’s first national championship since 1958. Ricard got his chance to play in 2004, and although his individual numbers were good, the same could not be said for his team’s overall performance. In nine games, he passed for 1,881 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but the Green Wave finished the season, 5-6. With high expectations for Tulane before the 2005 season, athletics took a back seat when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, forcing the football team to move its daily operations to Louisiana Tech University. The hurricane damage to the Superdome resulted in Ricard finally getting the opportunity to showcase his talents in Tiger Stadium last season, albeit not for the Tigers. Last October in front of 16,826 fans in Tiger Stadium, Tulane defeated Southeastern Louisiana University, 28-21. Ricard threw for 324 and two touchdowns in the win, but unfortunately for the team, the victory would be the Green Wave’s second and final one of the season. So far in 2006, Ricard and his teammates have had their share of ups and downs. After a 45-7 loss at the University of Houston on Sept. 9, the Green Wave defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs this past Saturday on the road, 32-29. With another chapter in the LSU and Tulane rivalry set for Saturday, Ricard said he never imagined he would be on the Tulane sideline. “Personally, I was a big LSU guy coming out of high school,” he said. “It was the state’s biggest team. I really didn’t envision myself coming out of high school being at the other end of the stick, but since I’m here I’m looking forward to it.” Ricard said he is hoping the Green Wave will continue to get better as a whole, even though it will be facing the No. 10 team in the country. “I don’t want guys going out there feeling too tense about playing because we’re playing such a good football team,” he said. “I think guys will be relaxed because just looking at last week, we have made improvements from week to week so far. We think we’re going to continue to make improvements.” And improve is exactly what Ricard has done. From redshirt freshman at LSU to senior leader at Tulane, the quarterback said in the end, he has no regrets about his interesting journey. “Coming to Tulane was the best thing for me,” Ricard said.
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