Jacob Hester named LSU starting RB

[Deus Vult]

http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/9366746.html?showAll= y&c=y

Hester surprised to get starting nod

By CARL DUBOIS
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Aug 25, 2007 - Page: 2C

LSU senior Jacob Hester, listed on the preseason depth chart as the No. 1 fullback, said he wasn't aware coach Les Miles told listeners to his radio show Wednesday night that Hester leads a crowded field at tailback.

"That's the first time I've ever heard of it, when you just said it right then," Hester said in response to a reporter's question Friday after practice.

Hester started seven games at fullback and four at tailback last season. He rushed for a team-high 440 yards and caught 35 passes, which ranks third in LSU history for a running back.

On Miles' first radio show of the 2007 season, the third-year LSU coach indicated Hester is No. 1 at tailback, a position LSU refers to as running back on its depth charts.

"I think we're still a little bit running back by committee," Miles said, "but Jacob Hester's just so quality as a ballcarrier and a receiver â€â€￾ just all the things that he can do. He's got great eyes, great vision, and he runs tough. He's strong."

Hester seemed surprised by news of Miles' comments.

"It's definitely an honor, and I'm going to do everything I can with it," Hester said. "Like I've said, yeah, we're going to have a starter, but I know and y'all know, everybody's going to get a chance to run the ball, and I'll play some fullback."

Hester said he didn't listen to any of Miles' show after practice Wednesday.

"I get home, I cook for the wife, we eat, and then we go watch a movie," Hester said. "That's pretty much it right now."

 

[Leonardfan]

Very good news, I believe if he gets enough carries he will be very close to 1000 yds and a 4.5 ypc avg so it will hopefully help his chances of getting drafted especialy since all the caste morons druel over the SEC.

 

[whiteCB]

Hester should be eating this up but instead he pulls a Brian Leonard and says he'll still be playing fullback. What a moron!!! He should be saying how he can't wait to get his carries and lock up the starting position. Just another herd follower.

 

[mark b.]

You shouldn't be surprised at Hester's response. White kids for the most part are taught to be humble, respectful people. I'm sure he's been taught to take nothing for granted and to never boast. It might not help his cause, but I'd rather see him act like that than to be like all the other idiots.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

i was just watching Fox Sports and they showed a 30-minute preview of LSU's '07 team. Les Miles mentioned Jacob Hester by name as a tailback that he expected to do good things.

 

[FieldThrower]

Hopefully he doesn't get supplanted by LSU's answer to Kenny Irons, like Tre Smith did at Auburn.

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

Hopefully he doesn't get supplanted by LSU's answer to Kenny Irons, like Tre Smith did at Auburn.

That person is Keiland Williams. He hasn't lived up to the hype and Jacob Hester is rightfully so starting in front of him. But I have the sick feeling of if Hester does one thing wrong, they'll pull him and put Williams in there. I know I shouldn't think that way but we have seen it before. Irons at least was a hard runner, though still painful to see Tre Smith have to sit. Williams hasn't done nor proven jack $hit. He is too iffy on choosing holes and if he starts over Hester later in the year then I'll really be pissed

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I just can't see Jacob getting a legit shot as an LSU RB. I hope I am wrong, but I think we may see a Tre Smith 2005 repeat after a couple of games. With that said, I think Jacob will do a good job when he starts. I see him tearing the Mississippi State defense up Thursday night.

 

[JTJTJT]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%">
<T>
<TR =bg2>
<TD>


I


This is from cbs sportsline......





In a recent radio show interview, Coach Les Miles said Jacob Hester is his #1 tailback.
(Updated 08/26/2007).</TD></TR>
<TR =bg0 vAlign=top>
<TD>FANTASY ANALYSIS</TD></TR>
<TR =bg2>
<TD>I would take this information with a grain of salt. Last week Charles Scott was taking reps with the 1st team offense. The week before it was Keiland Williams. Williams is still listed as the #1 back on the pre-season depth chart. Williams, Scott, and Hester are all going to get carries. This is good news for LSU, but bad news for fantasy owners. </TD></TR></T></TABLE>

 

[White Power]

One thing is different about the Jacob Hester at least he continued to play both postions through out the year I have a feeling that Les Myles just might like to see Hester play well so that he can recruit future white running backs to play down in the bayou. I mean LSU has a running back by committee approach to running the ball anyway so if Hester starts and does well then he will play both positions for the whole entire football season. I am rooting for him to tear it up thursday night beacause Lord knows we don't see to many whites run the ball in the negroized SEC.

 

[Deus Vult]

http://www.lsubeat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070828/S PORTS0202/708280330

LSU's Hester on a roll
Wedding, celebrity encounters keep Tigers tailback busy.
August 28, 2007
By Glenn Guilbeau
gguilbeau@gannett.com

BATON ROUGE â€â€￾ It's been a very interesting year or so for star-crossed LSU running back Jacob Hester.

He was named LSU's surprise starting tailback last week, got married last month after proposing moments after the Arkansas game in November, and before that, the relative of Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw met actors Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland in his hometown.


Then on Monday amid all the All-Americans, All-Southeastern Conference players and future first round NFL draft choices that crowd the LSU team, only Hester's name appeared twice on the list of 22 offensive and defensive starters released for the Tigers' opener Thursday night at Mississippi State.

Hester, a senior out of Evangel in Shreveport, was listed as the No. 1 tailback and the No. 1 fullback on the depth chart, which brings new meaning to the term two-way player.

"He'll be pretty busy," LSU coach Les Miles said with a laugh. "He'll play both throughout the game."

Just not at the same time. Junior Quinn Johnson will start at fullback if LSU starts in the two-back set. If it opens with three or four receivers under new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, there will be no fullback.

If it was possible to play two Hesters, Miles would probably do it. Hester has long been a favorite of Miles, who said his leadership and dependability will be key as the Tigers break in a new quarterback in Matt Flynn, a new offense and open a season in rare fashion â€â€￾ on the road against an SEC opponent.

"Jacob Hester gives us so many different skills and abilities, and he's a heady player," Miles said.

LSU has faster backs like Lafayette sophomore Keiland Williams, who finished last season at No. 1 and was listed No. 1 as practices began this month. Hester, though, has been LSU's most prolific receiving back the last two seasons with 46 catches for 332 yards and five touchdowns. He also rarely fumbles.

"He runs hard," Miles said. "He's a good receiver out of the backfield. I think you can start with looking for him."

Hester, who gained 868 yards as a fullback at Evangel, was not expected to be the starter last season either, but there he was at the No. 1 slot in four midseason games. He finished as LSU's leading rusher with 440 yards on 94 carries in 13 games, though Williams had 436 on 18 fewer carries in nine games.

"I guess it surprises me a little bit," Hester said. "But it's definitely an honor, and I'm going to do everything I can with it. But everybody's going to run the ball. I'll play some fullback, too. It's been an equal rotation. I go with the ones, and the next time I'm at fullback and Keiland and Charles (Scott) rotate with the ones."

Hester learned of his No. 1 status when a reporter asked him last week.

"That's the first time I ever heard of it," he said. "I really didn't know."

Hester didn't know if he would be engaged to high school sweetheart Katie Tiley on Nov. 24 until the final seconds of the LSU-Arkansas football game.

"We had like 20 people there from my family and her family," he said. "If we had lost, I wasn't going to do it. So I was getting a little nervous there toward the end."

LSU pulled out a 31-26 win as Hester caught three passes for 44 yards and rushed six times for 18 yards. He got on one knee in front of Katie and both families in the parking lot of War Memorial Stadium.

"I'm glad we won, and I got to do it," he said. "It was a total surprise to her."

Flynn was one of his groomsmen. Another groomsman was supposed to be USC quarterback John David Booty, a teammate of Hester's at Evangel. Booty, who graduated over the summer with a season of eligibility left, missed the wedding because of an exam.

"I gave him a hard time for a week," Hester said. "But he had kept calling me saying how sorry he felt. He couldn't miss that final because he needed it to graduate."

An uncle subbed for Booty, but Hester could have asked one of his new friends â€â€￾ Costner or Sutherland.

"When he (Costner) was in Shreveport filming 'Mr. Brooks,' he was renting a house next door to my wife's best friend," Hester said. "That dog that he still has from the 'Wyatt Earp' movie came over to my wife's family's yard. We started playing with his dog, and then he came over there and got it. Real nice guy."

Then after a night at the casino, Hester and some friends went to a Waffle House in Bossier City, and there was Sutherland, the star of "24," Hester's favorite show.

"He was just sitting there eating a meal," Hester said. "So we talked to him, and I got a picture of him. He was visiting some friends. He's a real nice guy. USC fan, though."

Hester's odyssey could fittingly end with Hester bumping into his would-be groomsman Booty if LSU and USC play in the BCS national championship game on Jan. 7 in New Orleans.

"We always joke about playing each other," Hester said. "That'd be great. But there's a lot of things that have got to happen between here and there. Like this first game against Mississippi State."


©Gannett Louisiana Newspapers
August 28, 2007

 

[backrow]

if he can do well enough running for LSU he will have a solid shot at NFL

 

[Gi-15]

I think he already had a solid shot at the NFL. But now that scouts gets another 6 games or so (at the very least, I hope...) of tape on him playing TB, his chance of staying at this position may greatly increase.

 

[white lightning]

I'm pumped! We are only around 10 minutes away from the opening tip off of the LSU Game. They are on national tv and I'm ready for Jacob Hester to hopefully go for 100+ yards on the big screen. LSU has an outstanding team and it would be great to see Hester lead their team to the promised land by chewing up alot of yards and scoring many td's. He needs to have a big year to help his stock in the nfl draft as a running back!Go LSU Tigers!

 

[Gi-15]

Jacob is having a solid first half.43 yards on 10 carries that would be great if he ends up with 20-25 carries.

 

[backrow]

yeah, however they chose to give 2 TDs (on one yard carries) to Keiland Williams, who isn't playing half as well as Hester... i guess Hester's ok with it...

1st half stats: 11 carries for 47 yards (4.3) and 10 yards receiving.

 

[Gi-15]

yeah, whats up with that? isnt williams some kind of scat back btw? (i cant see the game, i follow it on foxsports.com )

 

[backrow]

well, he's solid at 228 pounds but why wouldn't they let Hester finish his drives? that's just retarded.

btw Craig Steltz had an interception before, too.Edited by: backrow

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Craig Steltz is a stud and an interception machine. I noticed the end of drive treatment of Hester in the first half as well. What crap that is. Jacob has 14 runs for 67 yards and a 10 yard catch with 6 minutes left in the 3rd. Flynn has 11 for 52. State WR Lance Long has a 4 yard catch.

 

[C Darwin]

Well, we now know how the caste system is handling Jacob Hester. NO TOUCHES IN THE RED ZONE. The only way he'll score is from 30+ yards out. Jacob has had a great game.

 

[Gi-15]

another INT for steltz, but still no TD for hester...

and a 3rd for steltzEdited by: Gi-15

 

[mrjohnnynofear]

Hopefully he doesn't get supplanted by LSU's answer to Kenny Irons, like Tre Smith did at Auburn.

That person is Keiland Williams. He hasn't lived up to the hype and Jacob Hester is rightfully so starting in front of him. But I have the sick feeling of if Hester does one thing wrong, they'll pull him and put Williams in there. I know I shouldn't think that way but we have seen it before. Irons at least was a hard runner, though still painful to see Tre Smith have to sit. Williams hasn't done nor proven jack $hit. He is too iffy on choosing holes and if he starts over Hester later in the year then I'll really be pissed

No TD's for Hester!

 

[Deus Vult]

http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/9527077.html?showAll= y&c=y

Hester Does It All

CARL DUBOIS
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Sep 2, 2007 - Page: 1C

LSU senior Jacob Hester is a bit of an anachronism. At a time when college football is more specialized than ever, Hester is one of the most versatile fullbacks the Southeastern Conference has seen in some time.

In a time when players listen on their iPods to a pregame soundtrack of music by artists their parents might not be able to identify, Hester is an Elvis man before every kickoff.

His sideburns would need but the slightest encouragement to become tributes to the King.

He likes Dean Martin. He's a distant relative of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, with whom he shares a hometown of Shreveport and a country-boy-can-survive rug-ged construction.

Hester is something else you don't see every day in the blossoming spread-offense era of major college football: a player who is No. 1 on the depth chart at tailback and No. 1 at fullback.

In No. 2-ranked LSU's 45-0 victory Thursday at Mississippi State, Hester was at tailback for the first snap. He rushed 14 times for 68 yards and caught a pass for 10 yards.

He picked up a crucial first down with a run from the tailback position and, later in the same drive, was the fullback who cleared the hole for another tailback's touchdown.

Coach Les Miles is an unabashed fan of the senior from Evangel Christian Academy.

"He's a very bright, very talented, very tough, heady, moxie player," Miles said, "who makes most of the right calls and cuts. (He) has the unusual talent to transition from tailback to fullback to receiver very, very quickly."

Chris Fowler, the play-by-play announcer for ESPN's coverage of the game Thursday, described Hester as "a very effective runner.
He's a pretty good pass catcher (and) an excellent blocker with an NFL future."

High praise, but closer to home Hester's prominence in the offensive scheme isn't always greeted with such enthusiasm. Hester led LSU in rushing with 440 yards last season, and after Miles named him the No. 1 tailback before this year's opener, talk radio and other public barometers of fan reaction revealed surprise and concern.

What about other tailbacks who have more speed and big-play potential?

Miles gave some insight into his rationale Friday, a day after LSU's victory on a rain-soaked Scott Field in Starkville, Miss.

"Especially when you go into an opponent's stadium and you're opening on the road and it's a quality opponent," Miles said, "you look at a guy like Hester and you go, 'That's who I want holding the ball.'

"You just know that he's going to have ball security. You just know he's going to make the right cuts. You just know he's not going to make any mistakes. He's not going to mishandle the ball. Everything's going to go the way it's supposed to."

Hindsight being 20/20, it's easy to watch a replay of Hester's 17-yard run to the Mississippi State 8-yard line on a toss sweep around left end and imagine sophomore tailbacks Keiland Williams and Charles Scott or freshman Richard Murphy would have accelerated through a seam and turned the play into a touchdown.

As it was, Hester showed his versatility four plays later by lining up at fullback to lead the way for Williams, who scored from the 1 for LSU's first touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

That's the more traditional role for such a player as Hester, a 6-foot, 220-pounder.

Miles picked his spots for Hester, the veteran, to have the ball at tailback during a season-opening road game with a number of new offensive elements in place, together for the first time in an actual game that counts in the standings.

"You might feel a little bit differently in your stadium," Miles said, "and you might feel like you've gotten the first-game jitters out, and you might look at another guy doing some things, or you might stay right with a very talented guy like Hester."

Chances are, we'll find out when Virginia Tech does, soon after the 8:15 p.m. Saturday kickoff for LSU vs. the No. 9-ranked Hokies in Tiger Stadium.

Hester said he enjoys being a multidimensional part of LSU's offense.

"Any time you're out there it's fun," Hester said. "I don't necessarily have to have the ball, but it's fun to have the ball in your hands a number of different ways. It makes the defense slow down a little bit when you're in there. They can't key in on one thing."

That might be further insight into Miles' thought process.

Miles said the determination of when it's time to give younger players more opportunities with the ball is typically dependent upon those players making a case for themselves in practice and in the chances they get against other teams.

Against Mississippi State, Miles said, some players he didn't identify â€â€￾ at positions he didn't specify â€â€￾ made their case with enthusiasm.

"There were some guys who were really showing us they were ready to play and they could play," Miles said.

If any of them earned a chance to carry the football as much as Hester did last week as a tailback, it's a safe bet they'll probably run more than a few times behind Hester the fullback.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Wow, could that be any fuller with cliches and codes words?

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Thats what I thought when I read this last night, GreatLakeState. I was talking to my girlfriend when I read it and told her about it. She shares my beliefs about the Caste System so it is pretty cool to be able to talk to her about it. Anyway, I think my comment to her was why don't they have the guts to just come out and say what is on their minds, and that they are a bunch of cowardly suck-ups.