TIGER STRIPES

Jordan Jefferson leads the LSU pack

I have felt strongly that former Destrehan High School signal-caller Jordan Jefferson was the best prep quarterback produced from a Louisiana high school since Eli Manning came out of Newman High School in the late 1990s. On New Year’s Eve, Jefferson proved to many others just how talented he really is.

In the Tigers 38-3 victory over Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Jefferson led the Tigers to five touchdowns in the first half and he completed 16 of his 25 passes for 142 yards, and one touchdown in the overwhelming win over the Yellow Jackets.

Jefferson was named the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s Most Valuable Offensive Player completing passes to eight different receivers and he also rushed for 25 yards on 10 carries.

“I was very proud and excited to watch Jordan perform out on the field against one of the toughest defenses in college football,” said Tiger head coach Les Miles. “I knew this team was ready to play tonight against Georgia Tech and Jordan made great strides in the weeks after the season finale perfecting his footwork and accuracy. He was a rock out there under a lot of pressure for a freshman, but I knew he could handle any kind of adversity thrown at him.”

While there will be some changes on the defensive coaching staff and the usual loss to the NFL for LSU’s top senior players, the saving grace for the disappointing 2008 regular season is the fact that the Tigers have indeed found their quarterback for the future.

Despite the presence of the top prep quarterback in the nation hitting the Baton Rouge campus later this month, Russell Shepard from Cypress Ridge High School in Texas, Jordan Jefferson has firmly established himself as the quarterback of the present and future at LSU.

You Can’t Pass or Hide from Ed Reed

It’s NFL playoff time and the very best from the top football players participating in these contests come to life when all of “Football America” is watching.

This weekend Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed showed why he is the most feared defender in the NFL today.

Reed, a former Destrehan High School star performer, intercepted two passes in the Ravens 27-9 win over the Miami Dolphins in the first round of playoff action.

The perennial Pro-Bowler returned one of his two interceptions 64 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of play and with his two pickoffs in the books Sunday afternoon, Reed tied the NFL record for most interceptions for a player participating in three playoff games with five.

“No one is surprised by the way Ed Reed plays,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. “He may be the best football player in the game.”

Reed has intercepted nine passes and returned two pickoffs for scores in 2008 and he has 43 total interceptions during his NFL career.

“Ed Reed is probably the best playmaker that’s ever been in the league as a safety,” said Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Scifres, the unsung hero for the chargers

While Ed Reed is recognized as the best safety in the NFL today another Destrehan High School product has to be looked at as the top punter in the NFL also.

Mike Scifres, who was passed over again in the Pro Bowl voting, punted the football six times for a 51.7 yard net average, an NFL playoff record for a punter with five or more punts, in the San Diego Chargers 23-17 upset victory over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

Scfires also had all six of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line which set an NFL playoff record and five times the former Destrehan kicker pinned the high-powered Colts offense inside the 11 yard line. His punts limited the Colts to six yards in return yardage.

Despite watching diminutive halfback Darren Sproles total 328 yards in total offense for the Chargers, Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy said that Scifres’ punting was the difference Saturday night.

“Mike was the difference in the game tonight,” Dungy said. “I can’t remember a punter controlling a game like Scifres did against us. He was remarkable.”

Scifres averaged 45.7 yards per punt for the Chargers in 2008.

 

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