NORMAN LEJEUNE – STRONG SAFETY
With five games left in the 2001 season, the LSU secondary was ranked last in the Southeastern Conference.
Norman LeJeune was then inserted into the starting lineup at strong safety. Head coach Nick Saban said the presence of LeJeune made the Tigers secondary much better.
LeJeune started his final 18 games as a Tiger and led the team with 10 tackles for loss. He made his presence felt against Ole Miss in his final home game, sacking Eli Manning three times and recorded a season-best 13 tackles.
He ranked second to Bradie James on the team with 107 tackles and recorded 250 career tackles.
“LeJeune has a good chance of being a late round pick,” Daniel Schreiner said. “He will play safety in the NFL, and he loves playing physical football.”
The Sporting News ranks LeJeune as the 23rd-best safety in this year’s draft, which includes all strong and free safeties.
LABRANDON TOEFIELD – RUNNING BACK
On Jan. 6, LSU running back LaBrandon Toefield decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility and enter into the NFL Draft.
He redshirted his first year at LSU while still recovering from his high school injury, a torn ACL. As a redshirt freshman, Toefield led all Southeastern Conference freshman with 682 yards.
Toefield was the unanimous choice for First-Team All-SEC as a sophomore after rushing for 992 yards and scoring a SEC record-tying 19 rushing touchdowns.
In the SEC Championship game, Toefield tore the ACL in his other knee, forcing him to sit out the Sugar Bowl and spring practice.
He was ready for the start of the 2002 season but shared time with Domanick Davis.
This season, Toefield suffered a broken bone in his left arm but returned to the lineup six weeks later.
“He went through extensive medical tests at the scouting combine and was cleared,” said Daniel Schreiner, NFL draft guru and operator of mojosports.com.
The Sporting News ranks Toefield the 10th best running back in the draft, and many scouts and publications said he would be a top-round pick had he not endured so many injuries.
JOHN CORBELLO – PLACE KICKER
“Corbello For Heisman.”
The T-shirts were available, and students around the LSU campus wore them with pride.
John Corbello started at place kicker all four years for the Tigers and finished second in LSU history with 50 field goals and fourth in school history with 279 points.
Corbello was nearly automatic from within 40 yards but struggled outside of 40 yards going 18-for-37.
DAMIEN JAMES – FREE SAFETY
Before being dismissed from the team at the end of October, Damien James was widely regarded as one of the best safeties in college football.
As a junior, he led the Southeastern Conference with five interceptions and was the leading vote getter among safeties for the preseason All-SEC team.
But James missed all practices the week prior to the Auburn game and was dismissed from the team for unknown reasons.
In his LSU career, he had nine interceptions and started 19 games.