The Walk Down Victory Hill occurs two hours before every LSU home football game. The roars of the crowd help energize the team before they prepare to take on their opponent in Death Valley.

“Ruffin loved to celebrate the moment and his favorite moment was always game day, right here, the Walk Down Victory Hill,” said Todd Graves. “He got to enjoy it right before the game started.”

Ruffin Rodrigue was one of Todd Grave’s best friends, and a huge LSU football fan. Rodrigue died of a sudden heart attack in 2020.

“One of the greatest phrases at Ruffino’s was ‘What are you here to celebrate?’ to celebrate life,” said Rodrigue’s friend, Ben Ross. “I feel like that is what Ruffin was all about; he was just full of life.”

Rodrigue played offensive guard for the Tigers from 1986 to 1989. After his playing days were over, he went on to open and own Ruffino’s restaurant. Despite his busy schedule, he always made sure the LSU football team along with their head coach, saw him before the big game.

“Les Miles would always look at Ruffin and make eye contact,” said Graves. “Ruffin thought if Les didn’t see him that he [Miles] wouldn’t win the game that day, so he always tried to get back in time for the bus.”

The Rodrigue family, Graves and the Tiger Athletic Foundation revealed a memorial for Ruffin in September. The memorial sits at the starting line of the Walk Down Victory Hill.

“For his family and friends, we wanted to do something special,” said Ross, who is also the Vice President of Development for the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

“Whenever they thought of LSU football, and they saw the team come down the hill like he did and something he loved so much, there would be a spot where they could come and remember him,” said Ross.

The memorial honors the life of a friend.

“Ruffin Rodrigue was full of life, he was friends with everybody,” said Graves. He was the kind of person you met and immediately fall in love with.”

The memorial also celebrates fans who are just like Rodrigue. Who gather in the middle of campus on a Saturday to support the Fighting Tigers of LSU.