LSU running back Charles Alexander is one of this year's 76 nominees to the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame. His NFF bio: Charles Alexander, LSU-Running Back- 1977 and '78 consensus First Te am All-America. . . 1977 SEC MVP, leading Tigers to berths in the Sun Bowl and Liberty Bowl (1978). . . Led SEC in rushing, total offense and scoring in 1977 and set 27 school records by career's end. Other nominees of note to LSU fans include William Roaf, Danny Weurrfel, Derrick Thomas and Willie Gault. Also nominated this year is WR Larry Burton of Purdue, who was one of many first round busts of the New Orleans Saints early days.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrKcUbsaVyE]Charles Alexander LSU 1978 vs Stanford - YouTube[/ame]
he finished #5 in Heisman voting in 1978 and #9 in Heisman voting in 1977 -- before Tyrann Mathieu, Alexander was the last Tiger invited to the Heisman Ceremony in New York (in 1978 when he finished 5th) he set the all-time SEC record at least the following 6 categories: Rushing Yards, Season and Rushing Yards/game, Season his 1977 season with 1,686 yards and 153.3 yards per game was the most rushing yards in a season in SEC history and the most rushing yards/game in a season in SEC history. only three SEC players have beaten it since then: Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, and Darren McFadden Career Rushing Yards his 4,035 career rushing yards was the most in SEC history. only 6 SEC players have since surpassed it: LSU's Kevin Faulk and Dalton Hilliard, as well as Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, Darren McFadden, and Errict Rhett Rushing TDs, Season his 17 rushing TDs in 1997 was the most rushing TDs in a season in SEC history. only 7 SEC players have surpassed it since: LSU's LaBrandon Toefield and Charles Scott, as well as Tebow, Cam Newton, Herschel Walker, Garrison Hearst, and Shaun Alexander Rushing TDs, Career his 40 career rushing TDs was the most in SEC history. only 10 SEC players have surpassed it since then Total TDs, Career his 41 career total TDs was the most in SEC history. only 9 SEC players have surpassed it since then
Red, I've been watching Kenny Hilliard since he was a freshman at Patterson, and I've always thought there is a lot of similarity in he and Alexander. Similar size and build (though KH has put on weight since he got to LSU), both power runners with good feet and decent speed. What do you think?
Similar, but Hilliard has not yet shown me blazing speed . . . that overdrive that Alexander would shift into when the hole opened in the sprint draw or when he powered past the linebackers inside and just disappeared like the road runner before the defensive backs could converge. I had a couple of classes with Charles Alexander and he was only about an inch taller than me, but his waist hit me about mid-chest, the man was all legs.
I doubt KH will ever show us the speed he had in high school, unless he drops 15-20 pounds. I played HS ball with a guy who walked on in '78. He said in the first practice he was holding a blocking dummy at def. end, and Charles broke down on him. Said he had to resist the urge to offer his hand and introduce himself on the spot.
