Through two quarters of LSU‘s first game against Wisconsin, sophomore nose tackle Travonte Valentine was gassed.
After being thrust into the game because junior starting nose tackle Greg Gilmore’s helmet was thrown off on the second play, Valentine attracted consistent double teams and attention from the Badgers’ offensive line nearly every snap he played.
“Coach [Orgeron] wanted me to keep going in and to keep going,” Valentine said.
Standing at 6-feet-5, 355 pounds, the hefty defensive tackle missed all the spring drills and summer workouts with the Tigers because he was at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
“If I was here a little bit earlier, maybe, probably, the summer would’ve helped a lot,” Valentine said.
While Valentine gave himself a “C” for his performance from the defensive position coaches, LSU coach Les Miles said Valentine gave the team a boost on defense.
“He gave us instant strength on the inside,” Miles said on his weekly radio show. “I think he’s just getting started.”
Originally a part of the 2014 signing class, Valentine was kicked off LSU’s team after breaking team rules in the summer of 2015. That started a long path for Valentine who said he already knew he was coming back to the Tigers.
“I’ve been saying that since I was there,” Valentine said. “I’ve been wanting to come back here since I was there. As soon as I get everything situated, I’m going back to LSU that’s how I felt.”
Yuma, Arizona, a city where Marines go to train for combat, was the first landing spot for Valentine. But, he said Arizona Western College was the “wrong school” for the careening defensive lineman.
In October, the Yuma Police Department arrested Valentine for disorderly conduct, an Arizona Supreme Court public document states. The charge was dismissed in mid-November.
The next trip on his journey was to Mississippi Gulf Coast , which is considered to be one of the top schools in the junior college ranks.
That was when Valentine said he started to attend class more. Listening to his coaches, he ultimately matured himself for a return to LSU.
“It really prepared me to go to any school I want to,” Valentine said. “That’s what it’s all about. Mississippi Gulf Coast. It’s a pretty good school.”
With three years of eligibility left, Valentine could have gone to any school he wanted. But he wanted to come back to LSU because he felt “like he left something here.”
Valentine doesn’t remember when he and Miles discussed his return, but the 12th-year coach wasn’t expecting him to come back.
Miles said he essentially gave Valentine a reality check.
“What was depicted to me is that change had been made,” Miles said. “What I’ve seen since he’s been with us is personal discipline. If a guy is thinner, I think that’s something that shows you that he can have a self-discipline.”
At times, Valentine said he had his doubts about returning to LSU, but always reminded himself of the position he was in and where he could ultimately end up.
Now, back where he started, Valentine is at peace.
“LSU is home,” Valentine said. “It’s a great place to be here.”
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter, @JoshuaThornton_