LSU had flooded the professional ranks with stars for decades. We asked the crew at 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge to name the most surprising professional career they could recall from a former Tiger. Some were good. some…not so much. Here’s what they had to say.
Matt Flynn, Co-Host, Off the Bench: “Shawn Jordan. He was a top 10 fullback in the nation out of high school and a two-time state champ wrestler in Texas. He wins two national championships at LSU in football (03, 07) and picks up a brand new sport after college—MMA. He ascended to be a top-20 heavyweight fighter in the world highlighted by a UFC 2nd round knockout victory over Derrick Lewis in 2015, who would eventually become the 3rd ranked heavyweight in the world.”
Jacob Hester, Co-Host, Off the Bench: “I’ll go with DJ LeMahieu. DJ was a solid player at LSU but not someone you pegged as a future MLB star. He was known more for his glove than his bat during college. He’s become one of the most consistent hitters in baseball — a batting champion in both the AL and NL, 3× All-Star, 4× Gold Glove winner, and a multi-time MVP finalist. He went from a dependable utility guy to a $90 million cornerstone for the New York Yankees. Easily one of the most surprising and impressive pro careers of any former Tiger.”
Taylor Sharp, Video Producer, Off the Bench: “Barkevious Mingo. The Browns drafted him 6th overall in 2013 and then traded him after his third year. He bounced around after that and played eight seasons with only 40 starts and 12.5 total sacks. Lasting 8 seasons is no small feat, but he never fully lived up to his top 10 expectations.”
Charles Hanagriff, Co-Host, Live at Lunch: “Garrett Temple. When Temple left LSU, I thought he had a chance to stick in the league as a defensive specialist. If not, I thought he could certainly play professionally overseas. I thought that could last maybe 1 to 4 years. Temple has played 15 seasons and 771 games in the NBA. That’s more games in the Association than anyone from LSU except Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Pettit, and Brandon Bass. It’s more seasons than anyone from LSU except O’Neal. Not bad for an undrafted player.”
Jacob Beck, Audio Producer, The Hunt Palmer Show: “Glenn Dorsey. Yes, I know, Dorsey played in the league for eight years and was a solid player for the majority of those. No, he was not a bust. But I don’t think anyone, especially LSU fans, ever would’ve thought that Dorsey would be an average player in the NFL. It’s not hyperbole to say Dorsey is one of the greatest players in program history. Dorsey was a two-time First Team All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and won the Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott Trophy and Lombardi Award. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame five years ago. He went fifth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft to the Kansas City Chiefs. So, as a prospect, he was also highly regarded. But he just never made a big impact on the field. Dorsey accumulated 7 career sacks and just 23 tackles for loss in 104 games, never making an All-Pro or Pro Bowl team.”
Hunt Palmer, Host, The Hunt Palmer Show: “What if Tyrus Thomas has been asked to be a sharpshooter in the NBA? What if Odell Beckham had been told to play running back for the Giants? That’s not what they do, right? Austin Nola was one of the best defensive shortstops in LSU history. He started 219 games at shortstop at LSU. He’s played just north of 340 games in the big leagues and has played six positions—never shortstop. Nola’s primary position has been catcher where he’s played 252 of those games. His skillset from college has been completely taken away, and he’s stuck in the MLB for five seasons. Amazing.”
Paul O’Neill, Video Producer, After Further Review: “Devery Henderson has to go down as one of the most underrated receivers in LSU history. He was never the No. 1 target playing behind Josh Reed and Michael Clayton, but Henderson carved out his role and was always reliable. We all remember Henderson at LSU for being on the receiving end of the Blue Grass Miracle against Kentucky in 2002. Henderson was also part of LSU’s 2003 BCS National Championship team during his senior season. Henderson became a second-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2004 and had a quiet rookie season. Everything changed for Henderson when Sean Payton and Drew Brees were brought to New Orleans in 2006. Henderson became the Saints deep threat receiver for 8 years with the Saints, even while playing in an offense loaded with talented playmakers like Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, Reggie Bush, Piere Thomas, Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy Graham. He was a vital part of the Saints Super Bowl run in 2009. Henderson had 7 catches for 63 yards for the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV where they defeated the Indianapolis Colts, capturing the first title in franchise history. In 2012, he caught a touchdown pass from Drew Brees to break Johnny Unitas’s record of 47 straight games with a touchdown pass in the Saints win over the San Diego Chargers. For his career, Henderson averaged nearly 18 yards per reception. As of today, he ranks eighth in all-time career receiving yards in Saints franchise history with 4,377 yards. Henderson was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2022. Devery Handerson was easily a fan favorite spending his entire playing career in Louisiana with LSU and the New Orleans Saints.”
Matthew Musso, Audio Producer, After Further Review: “Danielle Hunter. One thing that always stood out was the sheer athleticism. Hunter was always one of the guys you wanted off the bus first. While he played a lot at LSU in his two seasons (26 games, 23 starts), the production never really followed. The Katy, Texas, native finished his career in the purple and gold with just four and a half sacks and 21 TFLs. His second year in the NFL with the Vikings in 2016 is when it all clicked. Hunter threw up 12.5 sacks in 16 games. Now after nine seasons in the league he has registered six seasons of 10 or more sacks with a career high of 16.5 coming in 2023. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and has once earned second team All-Pro. The former Tiger’s career earnings total $124.3 million.”
Matt Moscona, Host, After Further Review: “When the Oakland Raiders selected JaMarcus Russell No. 1 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, I could have believed a lot of different outcomes were possible. Rivaling Ryan Leaf for the greatest bust in NFL Draft history was not one of them. JaMarcus has become a punchline because of his early NFL exit, his weight, Purple Drank etc., but when the Raiders called his name, he was supposed to be the missing piece. Daunte Culpepper was in Oakland to provide a bridge to Russell. Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry and Zach Miller made up a solid offensive core. Darren McFadden would follow a year later. Lane Kiffin was the newly-hired offensive wunderkind. Maybe JaMarcus would ascend to superstardom. Maybe he’d become an average NFL starter. The worst draft pick ever? Nobody saw that coming.”
