With the 2003 football season came many surprises, especially that of freshman running back Justin Vincent
But he was not the only freshman who made major contributions to the national championship squad. Others made a significant impact without receiving much public exposure, helping the Tigers put together their miraculous season.
Freshman safety LaRon Landry led the team with 80 tackles. Running back Alley Broussard, a freshman from Lafayette, finished third on the team in rushing with 389 yards, contributing to the talent in the LSU backfield. Freshman Kirston Pittman complemented an LSU defensive line that led the nation in total defense.
Landry, an Ama native, came to LSU as one of the highest-touted defensive backs in the nation. While sharing time between safety and quarterback, Landry led Hahnville High to an 11-2 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the state playoffs during his senior year.
With the safety position considered one of the weak points of the LSU defense at the beginning of the year, cornerback Travis Daniels was moved to fill the void.
Landry, however, began the year against the University of Louisiana-Monroe with three tackles and one sack. Landry’s best game came at Mississippi State, in which he had 11 tackles. Landry also had an interception in the Southeastern Conference Championship game, helping lead the Tigers to their second SEC title in three years.
Landry’s ability to step up and fill the safety void allowed Daniels to move back to cornerback, making the LSU defense even stronger.
With the loss of running backs LaBrandon Toefield and Domanick Davis to the NFL draft, junior Joseph Addai was expected to pick up where they left off. Nobody expected a freshman running back to lead this team to a national championship.
What is even more surprising is that another freshman, Broussard, finished third on the team in rushing.
Broussard came out of Acadian High School as the state’s top running back, rushing for 1,910 yards and 27 touchdowns his senior year. It was Broussard who knocked Landry’s Hahnville High out of the state playoffs, rushing for 257 yards on 36 carries and four first half touchdowns.
On the season, Broussard ran for 389 yards on 85 carries with four touchdowns. Broussard scored his first touchdown of the year against ULM.
Broussard’s breakout game came against South Carolina, with 108 yards on 19 carries. Broussard added his second 100-yard game against Louisiana Tech with 106 yards on 16 carries.
Broussard also rushed for 47 yards on 11 carries in the SEC Championship game as the Tigers totaled 293 rushing yards against the Georgia defense.
Pittman, from Reserve, complemented an LSU defensive line that led the nation in total defense. As a senior at East St. John High School, Pittman had 42 tackles and three blocked punts and returned an interception for a touchdown. Pittman was considered one of the top prep defenders in the state during his senior year.
Pittman ended his first season as a Tiger with 15 tackles and three sacks, his first coming against David Greene of Georgia in a 17-10 LSU win.
Pittman also broke up a pass in the Sugar Bowl against Heisman Trophy winner Jason White.
Although this 2003 LSU squad had plenty of seniors to help lead them to its first national title since 1958, some of the youngsters made a difference too. And with the type of recruiting class coming in for 2004, another freshman impact is expected.