The wait is finally over for Terrence Toliver.
 
The 6-foot-5-inch receiver came into his own last season as the Tigers’ No. 2 option behind Brandon LaFell. He will finally get his chance to be the unquestioned No. 1 receiver in 2010 after stepping on campus in 2007 as the nation’s top receiver recruit.
 
Toliver enters his senior season trying to continue the pedigree of success that has followed LSU wide receivers in recent years. The Tigers have had five receivers make NFL rosters since 2007.
 
Toliver had the benefit of playing with LaFell, Early Doucet and Demetrius Byrd, all of whom he credits with his development as a player.
 
“Those guys were my mentors while they were here,” Toliver said of the three draftees. “I learned a lot from them, like learning how to run routes, learning how to read coverage and getting acclimated to the college game.”
 
In the first extensive playing time of his career, Toliver blossomed, posting 53 catches for 735 yards and three touchdowns in his junior year, including two 100-yard games and a six-catch performance against Penn State in the Capital One Bowl.
 
“[Toliver] had 50-plus catches in the SEC last year, which is huge,” said sophomore receiver Russell Shepard. “He probably had the least talked about 53 catches that I’ve ever heard of. He’s a great receiver, and everybody respects him.”
 
Toliver faced one setback during the 2010 spring semester when he was involved in an off-field incident outside Reggie’s Bar in Tigerland. He was charged for disturbing the peace, public intoxication and resisting an officer.
Toliver emerged from the arrest having been stunned by the on-site police officer and suffered a broken hand.
 
“It was an embarrassment to the team, to my coaching staff, the players, my family and it was embarrassing to me,” Toliver said after the incident. “That was totally out of my character. It won’t happen again.”
 
Toliver has said during fall practice he has put the incident behind him, realizing his position on the team this season.
 
“I’m just trying to step up and be a leader this year,” Toliver said. “I was kind of thrust into it this year since LaFell is gone, so I’m trying to step up and be a leader this year and help the young guys who just came in.”
 
Toliver has far more experience than anyone on a talented but green receiving corps. In fact, his 53 catches last season are more than the rest of the receivers’ career numbers combined.
 
“[Toliver has] taught me how to be a complete receiver,” Shepard said. “[He] has the most game experience on this team, period. From day one, from head to bottom, he’s played more games than anyone on this roster. He’s taught me how to be poised and how to lead by example, which is something I desperately needed.”
 
Toliver heads a group that consists of sophomore Rueben Randle, whose size and physical tools closely resemble Toliver’s, Shepard, who is making a conversion from quarterback to wide receiver, sophomore Chris Tolliver and freshmen Kadron Boone and Jarrett Fobbs.
 
Boone regarded Toliver with reverence and said he is both a vocal leader and is careful to lead by example.
 
“Anything you have a question on, you can just go ask him and he’ll give you an answer,” Boone said. “He’s going to get you ready to go this year. He’s going to go over things with you that you need to work on. If he sees something that you’re doing wrong he’s going to tell you about it to help make you a better receiver.”
 
Toliver could parlay a solid season into a high draft pick, though his statistics should correlate to the effectiveness of   whichever quarterback is taking snaps for LSU this season.
 
But when Toliver speaks, he refreshingly refrains from any diva mentality that seems to plague virtually every talented No. 1 option on any football team, professional or collegiate.
 
“I’m trying to do anything to help my team win,” Toliver said. “I’m not really focused on any individual accolades right now, I just want to help this team win and get over the hump that we’ve been struggling with the last year.”
 
 
 
 
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Contact Luke Johnson at [email protected]