Two numbers have always been at the forefront of every LSU fan’s mind: No. 18 and No. 7.
The No. 18 is voted on by coaches and is a symbol of leadership for a worthy athlete to wear. But the No. 7 is now seen as a symbol of the elite, only gaining national attraction in 2008 with the arrival of Patrick Peterson. Today, the jersey is a token of notoriety, only being worn by the next play-maker of the team. However, the jersey was held by one legendary College Football Hall of Fame player before Peterson.
Bert Jones was the first player to wear the number in 1970 as a sophomore quarterback. Jones won the Sporting News Player of the Year award in 1972 after passing for 1,446 yards and 14 touchdowns. Thus, began the eventual reign of the No.7 jersey long before the ceremonial baton, or jersey, passing in 2011.
After Jones left for the NFL following the 1972 season, the No. 7 jersey remained unworn until 1979. From 1979 to 2007, a total of 13 players ranging from freshman quarterbacks to junior linebackers wore the jersey. In 2008, Peterson became the caretaker of the jersey as a top freshman recruit.
Patrick Peterson
Peterson’s LSU career lasted from 2008 to 2011, leaving in 2011 as one of the most decorated athletes in school history with the Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Jim Thorpe Most Outstanding Defensive Back Award and two first-team All-American awards. That same year, however, another rising star was brewing in the background of Peterson’s reign: a four-star cornerback from New Orleans wearing No. 14 named Tyrann Mathieu.
Tyrann Mathieu
Mathieu, nicknamed “Honey Badger” for his ability to force fumbles, became the next holder of the No. 7 jersey after speaking with Peterson and the coaching staff at the time. Mathieu discussed in an interview before the 2011 Fall season about his relationship with Peterson and the inevitable tradition that would come from wearing the jersey.
“Pat was like a brother to me,” he said in an interview in 2011. “Me getting his number is me giving back to him.”
The Honey Badger continued Peterson’s tradition into his sophomore season by reclaiming the Chuck Bednarik Award from his former teammate and accumulating an assortment of other accolades, such as the SEC Player of the Year award, Consensus All-American and a Heisman Finalist. The team released Mathieu for team-violations, and the jersey spent two seasons without a worthy owner.
Leonard Fournette
The next big-time play-maker in Death Valley, Leonard Fournette, came from the Seventh Ward of New Orleans and wore the number not only as a participant of the tradition, but as an homage to his home. Fournette came from the same high school as Mathieu and quickly rose as the new star play-maker of the Tigers’ lineup.
“No. 7 is the number for big-time play-makers from the program like myself, Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu,” he said. “As I mentioned on Twitter, that number changes the program and there’s a lot to come for players wearing that number.”
Fournette ended his career with record-breaking games and stats including averaging 162.8 yards per game his sophomore season. On his departure, the tradition fell to his roommate, wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr.
D.J. Chark Jr.
“We always had talks about the number and the legacy and making big plays,” said Chark Jr., describing his talks with Fournette. “When he left, he passed it on to me. I couldn’t wait to wear it.”
Chark Jr. wore the No. 7 his senior year after showing his speed and versatility the year prior. In the 2018 season, he finished third in receptions, second in receiving yards and tied for most receiving touchdowns. One year later, he nearly doubled his yards, receptions and touchdowns earning himself the nickname “The Flash.”
After Chark Jr.’s departure, new wide receiver Jonathon Giles transferred to LSU after a phenomenal season at Texas Tech University, where he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. However, those numbers would not translate into the Tigers’ offense.
Jonathon Giles
Giles wore the No. 7 for six games and only caught seven catches for 32 yards. He switched to No. 12 and finished a lackluster season with 10 catches for 59 yards. The jersey then sat for the remainder of the season with no player willing to take its pressure until the next season.
While Giles struggled to continue the play-making tradition of the jersey, sophomore safety Grant Delpit was flourishing alongside other defensive powerhouses as one of the best safeties in the NCAA.
Grant Delpit
Delpit was given the number after his breakout 2018 season, being a finalist for the Nagurski Award– which is given to college football’s best defensive player– and a consensus All-American.
“I understand what the number represents and how important the number is to the LSU football program,” he said in a press release in 2019.
Although Delpit dealt with a consistent ankle injury, the No. 7 had returned to a rightful owner as the Houston native won the Jim Thorpe Award and helped the Tigers’ defense in their National Championship run.
Ja’Marr Chase
Another star on the roster that year, who wound up winning the Biletnikoff Award, was sophomore wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. As the final seconds ticked off the clock and LSU became the 2019 National Champions, many saw Chase as the new rightful owner of the No. 7.
However, Chase gave up the jersey prematurely after he opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft. With Chase’s departure, the famous No. 7 jersey is now vacant with no immediate heir to the historic throne.
Who could be next?
Many sports analysts would say sophomore prodigy Derek Stingley Jr., who ended his freshman campaign as one of the league’s top cornerbacks. But for the time being, keeping No. 24 seems to be the choice for Stingley Jr., according to a tweet he made last week.
In the meantime, the No. 7 will remain in the lockers as another goal to achieve for the current team members. Whether it be Stingley Jr., freshman tight end Arik Gilbert or a mystery player on the LSU roster who has yet to rise to the occasion, the jersey is only as valuable as the player wearing it. Any future player to continue the tradition could either crumble under the pressure (like Giles had) or rise as the Tigers’ lead play-maker like Peterson intended.
Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, 7, celebrates after his touchdown from a recovered fumble Saturday October 11, 2011 in Tiger Stadium.
