By Matt Moscona
On Friday night, the stadium lights shined brightly upon the hallowed surface at Tiger Stadium, although there wasn’t a soul to be seen. That would all change in less than 24 hours when LSU and Florida meet in an anticipated SEC clash.
High above the surface, however, in the West Stadium Club, there was revelry. Former players—most of them with shiny silver hair, or none at all, and moving not at the pace they once did when they played in this venue decades before—gathered to share stories and celebrate a man who will soon forever connect their generation to LSU’s fabled history.
On Saturday night, LSU will retire Charles Alexander’s No. 4 jersey.
The accolades are undeniable. Alexander the Great was a two-time consensus All-American and a 1978 Heisman Trophy finalist. His 1,686 rushing yards in 1977 stood as LSU’s single-season record for 38 years until Leonard Fournette topped it.
In the 1977 Sun Bowl, Alexander carried 31 times for 197 yards and was named the game’s MVP. He was also named to the game’s 75th Anniversary Team. When his time in purple and gold ended, he had set nine SEC records and 27 school marks. He did it all in three seasons because freshman didn’t play on the varsity team. Bowl game statistics didn’t count then, either.
Alexander was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Stories of those years came to life on this evening.
A few unnamed lineman are still sour about a 24-21 loss to Indiana in 1977. They tried to trick the Hoosiers with a reverse instead of running Alexander while salting the game away. Instead, they punted. Indiana would score and win. It appears criticizing play-calling isn’t unique to the current generation.
There were the weekly $7.50 checks the players received to do their laundry. Most of that money went to buy beer instead.
One teammate recalled a practice in Tiger Stadium when Alexander, with his famed physical running style, collided with a teammate so violently it sounded like a gun fired. It was Alexander’s helmet, cracked from the face mask straight to the back. Coach Charles McClendon gave Alexander the rest of the day off.
Of course, with it being Florida week, the 1977 game against the No. 9 Gators came up. LSU won 36-14.
“We could have beaten the Green Bay Packers that night,” said one of Alexander’s teammates.
Alexander addressed the crowd under purple and gold balloon arches with television screens looping highlight reels from his glorious years as a Tiger. The 200 invited guests hushed, hanging on every word as their teammate, friend, co-worker, father, grandfather tried to put the honor into perspective.
The crowd laughed when Alexander recalled his track career, which lasted only one meet. The track coach assured Alexander he had checked with Coach Mac and he was OK with him running. He hadn’t. When McClendon called his running back into his office the next day after reading the results in the newspaper, it wasn’t to offer congratulations. It was to tell him to shut it down.
Teammates nodded in remembrance when their star player discussed racquetball games in the dungeon, golf cart rides with Coach Mac and how “load management” wasn’t a thing in the 1970s.
Alexander recognized his offensive lineman, affectionately nicknamed “The Root Hogs,” by name.
He also had the crowd howling when he recalled his first day of practice when he was asked what number he’d like to wear. He requested No. 20. Alexander was confused why the equipment staff chuckled at the request. It was then that he learned about Billy Cannon, LSU’s first Heisman Trophy winner and the first man to have his number retired in program history.
The two men that broke his LSU rushing record—Dalton Hilliard and Kevin Faulk—were also in attendance.
As the evening winded down, security politely but hurriedly shuffled guests to the exits. Tiger Stadium staff had to prepare the venue for the 102,000 fans who will witness the next installment of this great rivalry.
Those same fans will also witness a moment that forever connects LSU’s present to its storied past.
High above the surface, a new name will gain immortality, joining Cannon, Stovall and Casanova: 4 Alexander.
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