re: Most Defining Moment In LSU Sports History?

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1. Billy Cannon halfback pass TD to win 1958 National Championship

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Had nothing to do with the NC. At that time, NC's were named before the bowls. All that play did was win the Sugar Bowl.

I don't think there is any particular "defining moment" in Tiger sports.

However, the event(s) which have had the most far-reaching effects were Dietzel's innovation of the 3 team substitution system, Alvin Roy and Billy Cannon's weight training program and Cannon's subsequent 89 yd. pr and Heisman.

Those three occurences taken together completely changed the face of college fb.

At the time Dietzel implemented his system, players were allowed to come in only once a quarter, thus forcing the best players to play both ways for longer periods of time. When he put in the system, it allowed for more liberal substitution and eventually led to most of the sub rules we have today.

Before BC and AR began weight training, most, if not all, colleges and even the pros had no program at all. Not even year round training as now. BC was the first player to ever really use weight and conditioning training and it was partially this training that led to his being able to make the punt return, breaking tackles and using his speed.

Without these innovations, LSU would not have that '58 skin on its wall. And as a result, college fb teams all over the land began to change the way they practiced and trained. It eventually spread to the pros as well.

Also a little known fact is that Dr. Marty Broussard, LSU's long time trainer, is actually the inventor of "Gatorade". He developed it and shared it with his fellow trainers and the sorry bastards from Gainesville profited from it. Supposedly, Dr. Broussard's mixture didn't taste very good and the Fla. trainers developed it to what it later became.