Dan Borne': LSU's "Voice of the Valley"

Back then we used to actually say a prayer before the games instead of just observing a moment of silence. Normally, someone would record a prayer on a cassette and we'd play it after the band marched onto the field during pregame. For some reason, the prayer never got to us that week.

I started a mad search around the press box for a priest or minister to say the prayer, and eventually I found a Jewish Rabbi, Barry Weinstein, who was a guest in the press box. I said, "Rabbi, would you please give a blessing before the start of the game?" He happily agreed.

Now, mind you I had not been given any advanced notice of what he was going to say, and in fact when it came time to say the prayer he grabbed the microphone from me and shouted "Dear God (God, God, God, God)"—he seemed to be taken aback by the echo of his own voice, but he loved it. He absolutely loved it. The power of the PA is awesome the first time you hear your own voice over it.

He continued, "We pray, (pray, pray, pray)…for VICTORY!" and it went on from there. At this point it was obvious he was really fired up because he stood up straight, raised his shoulders, and gave me a look like a little kid with a new toy.

The crowd came absolutely unglued. No one had ever prayed for VICTORY before! And that was the Earthquake Game, the Hodson to Fuller pass late in the game that won it for the Tigers.

Do you make it to many LSU road games?

I make a few, but with so many home games lately I prefer to just relax and watch them at home. For the most part, I've outsourced the road games to my children.

What was the most memorable thing to happen in the Press Box that the fans may not know about?

Going back to that Auburn game that had been moved due to 9/11, the students were on the field after the game and it was apparent that they weren't planning to leave anytime soon. The LSU band always plays a few songs after the game and students were dancing and going wild.

I made the announcement to please leave the field. It didn't have the desired effect. Then I get a call from Skip (Skip Bertman, former LSU Athletic Director and legendary LSU baseball coach) saying, "Voice" (he calls me "Voice"), he said, "Voice, we need to get them students off the field, but they won't leave as long as the band is playing."

So we radioed down to the band director and told him to have the band stop playing. This really just upset the herd and they began chanting "Play, Play, Play, Play."

So the phone rings again and it's Skip. He says, "Voice, tell the band to play 'God Bless America.' If they play 'God Bless America,' the students will get the point and leave."

Back on the radio to the band director, "Skip says to play 'God Bless America' then wrap it up." A minute goes by and the girl on the other end of the radio says, "They don't know 'God Bless America.'"

Well, I really didn't want to be the one to tell Skip Bertman that the Golden Band from Tigerland didn't know 'God Bless America,' but I had no choice. "Coach, they don't know 'God Bless America.'"

After a brief silence from Skip's end, I said, "Well coach, I don't think it means they don't know it, I think it just means they don't have the sheet music for it." (Nice save!)

So ultimately, the band played on for a few more minutes and then shut it down. The crowd eventually left the stadium and began roaming the streets of Tiger Town until class the following Monday.

You will certainly go in the books as an integral part of LSU sports history, but what would you personally like your legacy to be?

I don't consider myself to be an icon; Sid Crocker is the icon. I just feel lucky and blessed that I was able to succeed him. But nobody could ever replace him.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?