LSU junior cornerback Patrick Peterson found himself in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable position during the final series of the Tigers’ season opener against North Carolina — on the sideline.
 
Peterson could only watch as his understudy, sophomore defensive back Morris Claiborne, took the role of the top cornerback and held his own in the final seconds of North Carolina’s comeback attempt.
 
“It hurt,” Peterson said. “You want to be out there to help your team win.”
 
But fatigue from seven combined kickoff and punt returns stood in the way of the lockdown cornerback being on the Georgia Dome field for the most important defensive series in the game.
 
“Once those cramps come in, they’re not going anywhere,” Peterson said. “It’s kind of hard for those bad boys to go away.”
 
Peterson’s stat line and spectacular 2010 debut on special teams returns was at least consolation for missing the end of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
 
The Pompano Beach, Fla., native torched the Tar Heels for a school-record 257 return yards and an 87-yard touchdown haul.
 
Nutrition changes have helped Peterson’s cramps decrease since the season opener.
 
“I changed my eating habits,” Peterson said. “I’m eating more pasta, more protein.”
 
Claiborne has noticed a difference in his teammate’s pre-game preparation.
 
“He’s been taking care of his body,” Claiborne said. “Before the game he’s drinking two bottles of water and Gatorade.”
 
The biggest adjustment since the North Carolina game has been a change in Peterson’s
mental approach.
 
“I figured out the perfect plan — stay calm throughout the whole game,” Peterson said. “I used to be so amped up and ready to play. I always have to remind myself, ‘Just calm down, Patrick, calm down.'”
 
Peterson’s 39-yard kickoff return against Mississippi State to begin the game was his longest return since playing in Atlanta.
 
The 6-foot-1-inch, 207-pound playmaker also used extra energy in an interception return, one of two in the game, when he ran 46 yards after robbing Mississippi State junior quarterback Chris Relf.
 
But the cramps stayed away.
 
“By me just staying calm the cramps have diminished,” Peterson said. “The last couple weeks I’ve been doing pretty good — no cramps.”
 
LSU coach Les Miles agreed with Peterson’s assessment.
 
“The cramp issue, many times, can be anxiety for the first game or the opportunity to be on the road for the first time,” Miles said.
 
Senior linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said he knows how important it is to keep Peterson on the field.
 
“We have really good backups in [freshman cornerback] Tyrann Mathieu and [junior cornerback] Ron Brooks, but neither one of them is Patrick Peterson,” Sheppard said. “It’s good to have him out there.”
 
Miles saw the importance of Peterson last season when then-Alabama sophomore wide receiver Julio Jones broke a 73-yard go-ahead touchdown when the Tiger cornerback was out of the game.
 
“When he’s on the field, it multiplies your opportunities for defending and creating turnovers,” Miles said. “It’s just a little bit more excitement on that side of the field. I would like to think that we’re done with his in and out of the game.”
 
More attention has been given to the speedy specialist since the season opener, but the Peterson-led return crew still ranks as one of the best in the Southeastern Conference.
 
LSU is first in the SEC in punt returns with a 21.6 yard average and third in the SEC with 28.1 yards per kickoff return.
 
 
 
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]