Tiger Tangents: My Favorite Gift

I’m not really a memorabilia collector. I never have been. I have a bunch of LSU T-shirts but that’s about it. I may have tucked away some important souvenirs from the ’03 Championship and maybe the ’07 one, but let me tell you a story about the coolest gift I ever got from my favorite person in the world.

It was December 2004, The Tigers were one year removed from their first National Championship since 1958. It was an exciting time for me, because I had just asked my wife to marry me. She said yes, by the way.

A couple of weeks later, Christmas arrived. I was 28, and Christmas at this point had evolved as it does for everyone. It’s no longer about the magical feel of the season and getting presents. It becomes more about seeing family and maybe getting the things you need like socks or underwear. It’s not bad, it’s just different when you think back to that feeling you got as a child on Christmas morning when that present you’ve wanted shows up under the tree.

Now let’s flashback a bit about a month earlier in November 2004. My buddy Ross kept repeating the same thing to me every time he saw me…

“Your girlfriend is awesome.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Just trust me, you’re a lucky man.”

I know he was stating the obvious but there was something behind his words that sparked my curiosity.

I couldn’t help asking myself, “What did she do?”

What she did was get me the best Christmas present I’ve gotten in a long time. She got me an authentic LSU Football helmet as a gift.

But that wasn’t all. Her plans were grander than just the helmet. She went to the site of Nick Saban’s weekly radio show, got there extra early, sat there patiently waiting to get close to the coach and get him to sign my helmet which eventually he did. Now that’s just love, people.

Fast forwarding back to Christmas morning 2004. It was a good Christmas that year and I had all I ever really needed because I got to spend it with family and I was newly engaged. But this year provided me with a little lagniappe. (Look it up if you’re not from Louisiana.)

My fiancée presented me with a box. I had no idea what rested inside. Now I don’t know how women feel when they get an engagement ring. I think it’s something they always dream about along with thoughts of their wedding day but after I opened the box I think my feelings were pretty similar.

Seeing the helmet signed by Coach Saban brought me back to that feeling of being a kid again. I think I was smiling ear to ear. We actually have a picture out there somewhere of the both of us showing off our newest prized possessions. She extended her hand forward advertising her ring finger and I did the same although at the end of my hand was an autographed LSU football helmet.

It was truly a Festivus miracle.

Now let’s fast forward to a few weeks ago. My friends have asked me that since the ’07 Championship if I would attempt to get the helmet signed by Les Miles. I want to but haven’t had the opportunity just yet. But two weeks ago I had the chance to decorate the helmet further and jumped on the chance.

The helmet is now adorned with another National Championship coach’s John Hancock. Paul Deitzel signed my helmet and added “1958 National Champions” right under it.

And that wasn’t all, joining Deitzel was LSU’s only Heisman trophy winner Billy Cannon who signed his name and his #20 which is the only number LSU has retired in football.

So now my last piece of the puzzle is Les Miles. If I can get him to sign I’d have all three National Championship coaches and LSU’s only Heisman winner right there on the best present a Tiger fan could get from his fiancée.

I’ll leave you today with the small exchange I had with the two Tiger greats. When I got to the signing table Coach Dietzel (who looks amazing for an 84 year old by the way) was flanked by Cannon and quarterback of the ’58 team Warren Rabb. Coach Dietzel is almost 14 years older than Cannon and Rabb has considerably more hair than those two gentlemen.

Dr. Cannon was remarking about that very follicular inequity to the coach and his fellow player when I walked up so I said the only thing I could think of without sounding stupid. (And maybe I failed).

I told Coach Dietzel, “I thought the coaches were the ones that were supposed to lose the hair not the players?”

Coach just looked up and smiled before Dr. Cannon said, “It doesn’t always work that way.”

It’s not everyday you get to meet living legends and make no mistake, in LSU lore, it doesn’t get much bigger than these guys. While I wasn’t alive in 1958, actually meeting these men who I have been taught to revere brought me right back to that Christmas feeling; even if it was just the beginning of April.