During the summer of 1961 our family moved to Shreveport, Louisiana. Within a few weeks, we had joined the local Baptist Church, I was baptized and I was playing for the Lakeshore Baptist Church Bees. Up until that time, I had never actually played on an organized team. I was the "starting" shortstop. My uniform number was "2". During the entire season we did not win a single game. The following summer I once again wore the red and white uniform of the Bees. That summer we won two games. (both against the same team).
I played "church league" baseball up until I was in the tenth grade in high school. I played baseball for three years in high school, one summer "American Legion Ball" and for two years while attending Louisiana State. Each year I wore number "2".
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In the fall of 1961 I was attending Judson Elementary. Our house on Judson St., was two "doors" down from the school grounds. My bed room was literally less than 50 yards from my fifth grade classroom. They were having try outs for the school's football team. I knew very little about football. Up until that time, I had attended one LSU football game in Baton Rouge and a Northwestern State vs Stephen F Austin (my dad was an alumni) game that was played at Fair Park Stadium (now Independence Stadium). Tryouts were held in September and it was very hot. We ran a lot and the coaches would not allow us to drink water. If we asked for water, we were forced to run more laps. Afte
r a few days I decided that football was not for me and when we were running laps I simply kept running and ran on home. My father was disappointed that I simply quit without informing the coaches. The next day I returned to practice and told the coaches I had quit. They offered me the chance to continue on the team but I declined. The next year when I was entering the 6th grade I tried out again and this time I did not quit. My position was "end". (both offensive and defensive). They gave me a choice for a jersey number and 
I asked for "2". The number 2 jersey was too small so I ended up with number "22" instead. The Judson Jets would go on to win all of the games we played up until the city championship game. We were defeated by the Riverside Rams. My mother would one day teach fifth grade at Riverside. My cousin Jeff would be in one of her classes as well as country star Leon Eric"Kix" Brooks.My 7th grade was at Lakeshore Junior High and once again I played football. I wore a blue and white jersey with number "22" as a Lakeshore Lion. In the summer of 1964 our family moved to a house on Sandra Street. I would attend the 8th and 9th grade at Midway Junior High School. I kept the same number (22) as I played football for the Mohawks (Lakeshore's biggest rival). Our school colors were the same as those of the high school I would later attend, Black and Gold.
I had
been playing football for four years and some of the high school coaches actually knew who I was when I showed up for summer practice in August of 1966. Up until then I had played end, defensive tackle, and center. Within a few days of practice I was informed I would be moved to playing linebacker and or safety. I liked the idea and quickly began to impress the coaches. I recall the day the coaches informed me I would be a starting linebacker on the 10th grade team of the Fair Park Indians. I was so excited. A day later I learned that two varsity players were involved in an automobile accident. Both had injuries that would prevent them from playing football that season. The next day I was informed that even though I would be playing in the 10th grade game on the following Thursday and I should be prepared to "dress out" for the varsity game the following night. I wore my white jersey with black and gold trim all day at school and I was the lone tenth grader setting with the varsity team at my first "pep" rally. My jersey number for the 10th grade team was "22" but my "varsity" number was "2".I guess I could write how illustrious my high school football career was. (I did make second team all district my junior year and I was a three year letterman which was not that common back then.) The fact is that it was not that great. Because of some unfortunate events during my senior year (as chronicled in one or more of my earlier blogs), our team never got much attention. When I walked off the field from our loss (7-6) to cross town rival C.E. Byrd, I realized my football career was over.
During the summer of 1969 while attending USL (summer school), I was contacted by one of the coaches ( Ron Brown) of LSU's Freshman Team.(The Baby Bengals). He asked if I would be interested in "walking on" and having a tryout for the team. I agreed and within a few days I was driving from Lafayette to Baton Rouge for "summer drills" . The first two days consisted of nothing but running. I hated it. I have to say they did allow us to drink as much water as we wanted. The third day of practice I was given two worn out and faded uniforms to wear for practice. One of the jerseys had the number 18 while another had "30". I thought about asking for either 2 or 22 but to be honest I was not to confident I would really even make the team. The third and fourth day of practice found us in half and even full contact. I was beaten up pretty bad and I realized that there was a large gap between high school and college football. On Friday (the fifth day of practice) I had just about decided that college football was not in my cards. I was called into the coaches office. When I walked in I saw the Baby Bengal Coach (Coach Brown) and then I saw Cholly Mac (LSU Head Coach Charles McClendon) himself. They asked me to set down. I was informed that even though I was projected to enroll at LSU in only a month or so, I was actually attending a Division II school, USL. They both understood that I was only going to summer school, but both were concerned about possible NCAA infractions. I was told I could not participate with summer drills until I was no longer attending USL. I told them that I was not too sure I would have been able to make the team anyway and I told them I would return the uniforms given to me. They both told me that I had a good chance of making the team but to be honest I realized they were only being nice. It would have been cool if I had made the team but at the time I was also looking forward to traveling to what would later be called Woodstock.
My college football career lasted only five days but I can honestly say I dressed out with the LSU football team and I was even assigned a number (even though it was for the Freshman team and probably was only a temporary assignment.)
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That same year sophomore quarterback Herman "Butch" Duhe was assigned the jers
ey number "18". He saw very little game time the entire year. He was projected to be the starting quarterback for the 1970 season. In September of that year and only a few days before the first game of the year. Butch died as a result of a brain aneurysm. Although not "officially retired, the number "18" jersey was rarely assigned to a LSU player for 30 years.Matthew
Mauck from Jasper Indiana, a gifted two sport athlete had been recruited by the head football coach of Michigan State University. At the last moment he elected to accept a pro baseball contract and he signed with the Chicago Cubs organization. He spent 3 years never making it to the "bigs". That coach, Nick Sabin had recently been hired as the Head Football Coach of Louisiana State University. Mauck contacted Sabin and soon he was enrolled at LSU and was made a member of the football squad. As a quarterback, he was assigned the number "18" on his jersey. Mauck"redshirted" his first year at LSU. In both 2001 and 2002 Mauck only saw limited playing time. In 2003 Matt Mauck was the starting quarterback for the Fighting Tigers. That year the Bayou Bengals won the BCS National College Football Championship. Although he had one remaining year of eligibility he elected to enter into the 2004 NFL draft. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos. He never saw any playing time and was traded to the Tennessee Titans and after two years he was released. He is currently enrolled at the University of Colorado School of Dentistry.
Legend goes, that upon his decision to place himself in the 2004 draft, he had a conversation with LSU trainer Jack Marruci. He asked that his number be assigned to someone who had the "Heart of a Tiger".
The following year Jacob Hester from Evangel High School, Shreveport, Louisiana was assigned number "18". Hester wore that number his entire time at LSU and in the 2007 season Hester rushed for over 1,000 yards and led his team to the 2007 BCS National College Football Championship. Hester currently plays for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.
Prior to his
departure from LSU he asked that his jersey number to be assigned to someone he felt had the "Heart of a Tiger" . Wide Receiver Richard Dickson was given the honor of wearing number 18 during the 2008 and 2009 football season. On the plane ride from Baton Rouge to Orlando Florida prior to the 2010 Capital One Bowl, Dickson informed running back Richard 
Murphy that he would be honored to have him wear number "18". He was later asked why he chose Murphy to wear his number. His reply.... "He has the heart of a Tiger".The assignment of the number "18" has become a new tradition at LSU. Richard Murphy will finish his career at LSU at the end of this season. The number "18" will be passed on to someone else. Beginning this year, the person honored to wear the number is one who is now selected by the entire team and coaching staff. This individual is the one player who best shows his courage and his Heart of a Tiger.
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My youngest daughter, The Rock Star Mentality informed us several months ago that she was pregnant. Within a few days we learned that her "due date" was January 12, 2011 and the the new addition was a boy.
I was excited. After several months my daughter experienced a few incidents causing her to have to make emergency hospital visits. On October 3, 2010 she went into labor and her son was born "severely premature". My new grandson was only one pound seven ounces at birth. The "odds" were heavily against him yet he seemed to be doing even better than anticipated. The doctors and nurses were continually encouraged by his progress. They were making comments like "he is a strong one" ," he is a fighter" , and "he has a heart of a lion".
As I have stated many times, I am not too impressed with my new home town. But.....we are fortunate to have a Top 100 Hospital right here in town. In fact ....Temple Texas has more physicians per capita than any other city in the United States.
About two weeks ago, the little baby began to experience problems and the doctors at the prestigious hospital began to be less and less optimistic about his prognosis. Eventually it was decided to transport him via helicopter to nearby Austin, Texas to Dell Children's Hospital. it seemed as if surgery was imminent and the doctors and nurses were extremely cautious concerning his survival. His mother and grandmother both drove to Austin and spent the best part of a long night by his side. Early the next morning he was stabilized and it was determined surgery would not be necessary. Since then, he as steadily improved. Each day he shows us all what kind of fighter he is. When The Mrs. The Third returned home from Austin, she made a comment to me that our new grandson had the heart of a lion. Later that evening the three of us drove to Austin to visit the little man in his room. As we walked into the spacious NICU the Mrs The Third began bragging on how much our grandson was improving and how one day he might even play football for my beloved Tigers. She even suggested that his jersey number could be the room number he was currently in. As we approached the room where our grandson was in I saw the number and I looked at my wife and with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I replied "No...He has the heart of a Tiger"
Geaux Haise
The Third
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