LSU senior tight end Foster Moreau heads into the 2018 with one goal on his mind: to win.
Moreau, who was a starter the last two years after receiving heavy snaps as a freshman for his blocking skills, has been able to expand his role to the catching game over the last two seasons, hauling in 30 receptions for 357 yards and four touchdowns.
But stats mean absolutely nothing to the 6-foot-6-inch tight end, who says winning at least 10 games is his one and only goal for a successful season. The one part of this that hit Moreau recently was that he wasn’t supposed to be in the position he is currently in.
“When I saw a tweet of the big screen outside of the Collegiate Hall of Fame, it hit me,” Moreau said. “I was on there carrying the ball, and I was like ‘Wow.’ Just being here is such a great experience because there is a long list of guys on our team that could’ve come here and represented our school just as well.”
When Moreau first arrived to the LSU campus as a three-star recruit from Jesuit high school in New Orleans, the bar wasn’t set very high. But learning behind the likes of Colin Jeter and DeSean Smith helped Moreau with his progression as a player.
Moreau had a great connection with former teammate and roommate quarterback Danny Etling. With Etling now a member of the New England Patriots, Moreau is focused on learning the styles of play and personalities of the four candidates for Etling’s replacement under center.
When asked about incoming transfer Joe Burrow, Moreau said “reserved and a hard worker” are two character traits the quarterback exudes.
“You can tell he’s an honest and nice kid that likes doing his job,” Moreau said. “I like working out with him because he challenges all of us.”
With so many new offensive players on the roster, the Tigers are in a delicate situation in finding the right pieces to the puzzle. Moreau said that all starts with the offensive line, which returns a few of its starters from a season ago while also adding depth to the roster.
“The guys that are replacing Toby Weathersby, K.J. Malone and Will Clapp are all really good,” Moreau said. “We have a problem of too many guys that are good, so I think it’ll start up front, which will give our running backs lanes and our quarterback time.”
LSU isn’t projected by many media outlets to be a contender in the SEC unlike years past, with some projections having them at six or seven wins total.
That doesn’t faze Moreau, or any of the Tiger players who respect the decisions, even if they don’t agree.
“We accept it, and at the end of the day, all we can do is try to prove those predictions wrong,” Moreau said. “I know we have a tough schedule, but what I see from our team is an exciting offense and a dominant defense.”
With just one year to go at LSU, Moreau reminisced of walking down the hill as his favorite Tiger tradition. The first time, in particular, was an “indescribable” feeling as a freshman.
“Walking into the stadium is a close second,” Moreau admitted. “But seeing people’s faces the first time I walked down the hill was a really important moment for me.”