Senior outside linebacker Corey Thompson’s career at LSU has run on longer than he anticipated.
The 23-year-old Thompson has endured two redshirt seasons due to injuries to his knee and ankle, and will be one of the oldest members of the team when the Tigers take the field this fall.
The NCAA didn’t notify Thompson or LSU about his eligibility for a sixth season until early March, but Thompson said they weren’t worried about it being an issue.
“We were real confident,” Thompson said. “I wasn’t really worried about not getting the sixth year. In high school you go from thinking three and out, then four years, my fifth year I got hurt, so now I’m back for my sixth. It’s been a long career. I’ve been fortunate enough to get a sixth year so that I can finally play my senior season.”
In 2012, Thompson played in 13 games his freshman season in the safety position and finished with 11 tackles. Thompson played in 10 games his sophomore year with five starts in safety, and had 40 tackles.
He missed the final two games in 2013 due to a knee injury, which required him to sit for all of 2014 as well.
Thompson returned in 2015 and registered 15 tackles while also contributing on special teams.
During fall practice in 2016, in the midst of switching to the linebacker position under newly hired defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, Thompson went down again.
This time it was his ankle.
“I was shooting to return for the Florida game, but I was never really ready, even in the back half of the season,” Thompson said.
Under a brand new coaching staff, Thompson said he’s ready to go.
“It feels good,” Thompson said. “I don’t have to have to really worry about trying to play it safe, I just go full out. I still don’t have any game experience yet since the coaching change happened. I’ve learned a lot of new techniques and stuff, but I still have some things to work on.”
As far as the shift to linebacker, Thompson seems to be unaffected.
“It’s different,” Thompson said. “Playing in the trenches versus playing out in space a lot. I still get to do some of my favorite things, like cover. I play closer to the line of scrimmage now, take on a lot more blocks and get a lot more pass rushing in, so it’s pretty fun.”
Thompson’s career with LSU has been filled with obstacles, but it’s made him one of the most experienced players entering 2017.
“Your maturity level definitely goes up over the years,” Thompson said. “My preparation has changed and my mindset has changed. I feel like it’s all for the better.”