re: Former LSU QB Buddy Lee Died

Wow, you are so right. Didn't know how great those times were when growing up. Definitely some great days and I love to go back and listen to the audio of John Ferguson's call of that last drive in Tiger Stadium on the Brad Davis winning catch. The whole of that last drive is on audio and even at 53 still sends chills up and down my spine listening to Ferguson's call and as I mentioned earlier so sorry to hear about Buddy Lee's passing.

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Folks that are too young to have experienced a family, all sitting together, on a Saturday night, listening to John ferguson call the Tiger games really missed out. At 48, and as a one time season ticket holder, I've got incredible LSU football memories. The one that is THE most nostalgic and heartwarming though are those memories of me, mom, and dad, sitting in the den, listening to LSU on the radio.

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Yep. Great memories. Mom, Dad, and all of us kids (we ended up with 6 total) sitting on the patio or in the living room, listening to JF calling the game.

I can still remember the first time I saw LSU on TV, it was a really strange experience, since I was so used to listening on the radio.

LC

So sorry to hear this. RIP. Condolences to the family.

I was at the Orange Bowl against Nebraska in '71 (January 1, 1971).

A few folks might say he was from Zachary, not Baton Rouge since it was a separate town in EBR Parish.

RIP.

Might have been Estay...

Was Estay

I'm with you TigerTrey-grew up listening to the games as a family on the Magnavox console stereo. Only difference was when the Tigers got close to scoring, I'd go in my backyard and listen to the roar coming from the stadium 3 miles away. As soon as I was old enough I started working in the concession stands so I could get into the games. ND screwing over what was one of the best Tiger teams of all time still sticks in my craw, and why I hate the Leprechauns and Condoms (for 1979) more than any other CFB teams.

Buddy Lee and I were both '48 models. When I was running track in High School we sometimes had meets that included Zachary. Buddy Lee was a man at 15. He ran the 100 and 220 on the Zachary track team and could motor in the 220 running in the mid 22s. Not quite enough start to be a great 100 guy but darned fast when he got moving. One of his receivers was a boy named Kenny Hurst. Hurst was a miler and I ran against him several times without success. I was as fast at the end of the year as he was at the start of the year which says it all.

I went to LSU starting in '69 after 2 1/2 years in the Army on the GI bill. Ran Cross Country and a little track before graduating in May of '72 which meant I spent some time around the football team.

It is my personal opinion that Buddy Lee is the most underrated post WWII quarterback to play for LSU. His one year as a starter came between Mike Hillman and Bert Jones Which sealed his doom, today he's barely a footnote.

A lot has been said about how much LSU ran the ball, LSU ran the ball about the same as most other teams in the late 60s - early 70's. In Lee's senior season in 11 regular season games he completed 73 out of 138 passes for 1162 yards (53%,) Bert Jones completed 50 of 99 for 894 yards (52%.) That's 2056 yards or just under 200 yards a game in a year in which the Tigers averaged about 375 yards a game total offense. That was explosive offense back then. The rules gave the edge to the defense then and the fact that the QBs had less time to throw and the emphasis was on the downfield game meant that any quarterback who completed about 55% of his passes would likely be on the podium for the Heisman. The only time LSU attempted a pass less than about 20 yards was on a checkdown or a screen. In 1970 LSU averaged 17 yards per completion. The leading receivers, Andy Hamilton, Gerald Keigly, Ken Kavanaugh Jr., and Jimmy LeDoux averaged 22, 17, 13 and 18 yards a catch respectively.

I talked to a fellow I know who started on the LSU defense for three years and was a senior on the 1970 team. He said that Buddy Lee was a decent and honorable man, which I suppose does mean more than being a good football player.

Heck of a bump

I played football, basketball, and baseball with Jimmy Gilbert in the late 60's in High School. His dad was my coach. Jimmy was right handed. Buddy Lee was ahead of me 2 years, and he was left handed. Jimmy was moved from QB to Safety at LSU and played a lot on defense. He did come in as a halfback and threw a touchdown pass against Auburn to win the game at the end. I was there in the stands.