At the end of each progressing season, players, coaches and fans look ahead to what next season holds. The toughest thing for a program is to replace players who have made a positive impression on the team but that is part of the game.
“We have a really good senior bunch,” said an emotional Nick Saban, following the 35-20 loss to Texas in the SBC Cotton Bowl. “This is the hardest bunch for me to let go. I would swim the Mississippi River 100 times over for them.”
But he does have to let them go. Many of them will go on to make their presence felt in the next level because of on-field ability, but their off-the-field accomplishments are what strengthened the bond with their coach.
“I have grown very close to a couple of guys in this class who have overcome a lot of personal adversity in their lives and continue to be successful in all parts of their lives,” said Saban. “This program has accomplished a lot in the last three years, and I’m proud of that.”
The Tigers will suffer large losses in both the defensive and offensive backfields and also will lose two-year offensive line coach George Yarno, who will leave the team and move closer to his home in Idaho. Former First-Team All-American offensive lineman and Cincinatti Bearcats offensive line coach Stacey Searels will take over.
Searels will have a veteran group to work with as the Tigers return the nucleus of their offensive and defensive lines.
Throughout his career at LSU, Bradie James endured many off-the-field obstacles, but he maintained his fierce presence on the field. He capped off his career with an LSU single-season record of 154 tackles and was a 2002 First-Team All-America selection. He also was one of 14 players selected from among all NCAA divisions to be named a National Scholar-Athlete.
His partner during the last few years, Jeremy Lawrence, also will leave LSU, hoping to bring his talents to the next level.
The Tigers began filling holes in the defensive secondary in mid-October after the departure of All-Southeastern Conference free safety Damien James, and they will continue that with the loss of Norman LeJeune and Demetrius Hookfin.
LeJeune ranked second on the team with 107 tackles and 5 sacks. He will represent LSU in the Hula Bowl all-star game Feb. 1. He took over starting duties midway through his junior season, and Saban said the defensive backfield made an improvement with LeJeune at strong safety.
Hookfin was a three-year starter for the Tigers and finished his career as a Second-Team All-SEC cornerback after leading the league with 17 pass deflections and ranking second with five interceptions.
The offense will lose players who made their marks on the LSU and SEC record books.
The stable of running backs has taken a hard hit with the loss of Domanick Davis and the early departure of junior LaBrandon Toefield to the NFL.
Davis was an All-SEC running back and return specialist in 2002. He finished his career ranked second at LSU and third in the SEC in all-purpose yards.
Toefield was an unanimous First-Team All-SEC performer in his sophomore season last year, when he tied an SEC record with 19 touchdowns.
This will open the door for Joseph Addai, Shyrone Carey and Justin Vincent to carry the ball more next year.
Jerel Myers led the Tigers in receiving his freshman season, but the emergence of Josh Reed and a lackluster pass attack his senior season shadowed Myer’s career. He still ranks fourth at LSU in career receptions and seventh in receiving yards. He showcased his abilities in the East-West Shrine all-star game by leading all receivers with 6 catches for 148 yards.
Saban said he never has had such a strong bond with a group of guys in his coaching career. In fact, he said he has a father-son like relationship with the departing seniors, and they agreed.
“Saban has taught us everything that we know,” said Bradie James. “We have so much trust in him, and we have since square one. He is the reason I was able to make the All-America team.”
LeJeune said the father-son relationship the seniors had with Saban and the large amount of respect they each have for each other led to a great experience in his time at LSU.
These seniors will leave, and new players will step into the forefront of major college football. This is a cycle that will continue with each new year, but according to Saban, this is a group that never will be forgotten.