When Sammy Joseph graduated from Shaw High School in the spring of 2003, he thought the University of Colorado was his best fit for playing football. Because his brother was Colorado’s defensive backs coach, the decision was easy, although LSU was second on his list.
“It was an easy choice for me to go to Colorado,” Joseph said. “But if I wouldn’t have gone there, I definitely would have gone to LSU.”
Joseph earned playing time for the Buffaloes as a freshman, but his brother, Vance Joseph, left for the same coaching position at Bowling Green after the season ended.
It was the one coaching change that made Joseph revert to his second choice.
“It was just a personal decision,” Joseph said.
After learning of his brother’s departure, Joseph used his hometown connections in Shaw High School coach Hank Tierney to negotiate transferring.
“I told him I was thinking about leaving,” Joseph said. “He made a few phone calls, and LSU welcomed me with open arms.”
Although Joseph missed LSU win its first national championship since 1958, he was never regretful of his time at Colorado.
“Football players really don’t wish they could be here or there,” Joseph said. “Regardless of where you are, you’re always thinking your school is the best. But I was happy for those guys, and for the state of Louisiana.”
Joseph will have a chance to step in early after LSU lost both Corey Webster and Travis Daniels to this year’s NFL Draft.
The Tigers’ roster has another player returning to Louisiana. Chase Pittman, a junior defensive end from Shreveport, left the University of Texas after the 2003 season, shortly after his brother died in a one-vehicle accident.
After completing his redshirt freshman year at Texas, where he played in 10 games and recorded ten tackles and 2.5 sacks, Pittman decided to leave Austin, Texas, to play for LSU.
“It was just hard to be in the same city [my brother’s] been in,” Pittman said. “Going places I knew he’d been just kind of began to wear on me.”
Like Joseph, Pittman’s second choice was LSU.
“When I was being recruited, LSU was No. 2 on my list,” Pittman said. “If I wouldn’t have gone to Texas, I’d definitely had been at LSU.”
With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Pittman said he has confidence in LSU’s 2005 squad.
“I think this team will come out and surprise some people,” Pittman said. “We’re here to play, and we’ll have a real good season.”
Contact Jeff Sentell at [email protected]