Many people have made their mark on LSU athletics since 1893. Only a few have transcended the sport and revolutionized their respective craft — they call themselves Hall of Famers.Five Tiger greats were inducted Saturday night into the hallowed grounds of the 117-member LSU Athletic Hall of Fame. James Britt, Jenny Lidback and Paul Dietzel accepted plaques and reminisced on their historic careers at LSU. The late Sue Gunter and Jeff Boss were inducted posthumously in front of family and friends.Britt balanced school and athletics during his time in Baton Rouge.The Minden High School cornerback was an academic All-American and graduated with a 3.5 GPA in accounting after making an equally impressive mark on the gridiron.He had 49 tackles as a sophomore and 66 tackles during his junior campaign. Britt was given a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending broken arm as a senior. The student-athlete returned to record 53 tackles and four interceptions in an All-American season.”This award speaks for itself,” Britt said at the ceremony. “When [Athletic Director Joe] Alleva called, he had to prove to me it wasn’t a joke.”Britt played a brief stint with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons from 1983-87.Lidback became the first women’s golfer to enter the LSU Hall of Fame. The Lima, Peru, native transferred to LSU after beginning her career with TCU.She put the women’s golf program on the map her senior season when she had seven wins and was named National Collegiate Player of the Year in 1986.Lidback gave credit to her team, which finished No. 9 in the nation in 1986.”It’s like a dream come true,” Lidback said. “I had the best team I could ask for. When my name goes up in the Hall of Fame, their names should be in place of mine.”Dietzel didn’t make birdies or tackles for the Tigers, but his influence at LSU was historic. He joined LSU in 1955 as football coach and led the Tigers for seven seasons, including the team’s first national title in 1958.The Fremont, Ohio, native returned to Baton Rouge to become athletic director from 1978-81.”To say I’m honored and humbled is an understatement,” Dietzel said. “LSU has done a great deal for me. It’s a two-way street.”Dietzel wrote “Call me Coach” in 2008 to recall his time in college football.Boss took a unique route to the LSU Hall of Fame, but he will be remembered just as much as the greats on the field. Instead of gaining fame wearing purple and gold, Boss had a lasting legacy fitting and taking care of the jerseys.The long-time equipment manager and Lake Charles native joined the LSU staff in 1980. He died in 2003 at 54 from brain cancer. ”If Jeff was alive, he wouldn’t want all this attention,” said his wife Karen Boss. “He was a humble man.”The letters “JB” were painted on the Tiger Stadium grass to remember Boss during the 2003 national championship season.Gunter’s memory also rings loud in the hearts of LSU fans. She was a trailblazer for the Lady Tiger basketball program from 1982 to 2004.The Walnut Grove, Miss., native coached the women’s basketball team to three Elite Eights and one Final Four in her 22 seasons.Gunter, the winningest coach in Lady Tiger history with 442 victories, has also been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.Gunter died in 2005 at the age of 66.”Sue’s genuine legacy is the people — the people she touched,” said Suzanne Rollins, Gunter’s friend and supporter. “She never met a stranger.”
__Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]