Les MIles and Charlie Cangelosi

I got this in an email. This is not my personal story and I don't know Charlie Cangelosi. I got to know Les Miles a little better from reading this story.

I have a personal story to share. My cousin, Charlie Cangelosi, was shot after the Alabama game while trying to help a pregnant lady that was screaming when being robbed by some evil-doers. The perpetrators sped off in a car that night while Charlie laid on the ground with a bullet through his mid-section. Charlie survived, and the media picked up the story about how Charlie risked his life to save another in need. On Wednesday after the shooting, Charlie’s parents got a call from the OLOL administration, with a message from Les Miles asking for permission to visit Charlie. Being big LSU fans, they granted permission. Les indicated he would be there around 6 pm on Wednesday.


Right on time, Les showed up … alone, no cameras, no bodyguard, in his coaching outfit. He was extremely kind to the parents and was allowed to go into the room where Charlie was still in critical care. Though Charlie had been in a medically induced coma and had intubation in his mouth preventing verbal communication, Charlie was able to see Les and communicate with eye-blinking. Les told Charlie that the world needed more people like him, that he was a champion and that when he was better (remember, at this time he was “touch and go”), Charlie could come to any home game next year and stay on the field with the team or sit with Les’s family in their box. Les then pulled out an autographed LSU football for Charlie. After this pleasant visit, Les explained that he had to leave. It was Game Week (the Monroe game was coming up) and Les had to prepare for his radio show that was just a few minutes away. When listening to the radio show that night, Charlie’s family heard that it was Les’s birthday, too. OK, so this man took an hour of his day during Game Week, on the day of his radio show, and on the day of his birthday, to say thank you and give a game ball to a stranger? Wow.


That is why Les runs such a clean program. Yes, he has made some clock and time out mistakes and our offense needs to be revamped, but this is why LSU’s program is still a Top 10 program. How could you not want to play for someone like this? His players never quit, graduate, stay out of trouble and have an uncanny knack of being able to comeback numerous times