When members of the LSU football team suit up prior to their 2:30 p.m. kickoff against No. 10 Auburn Saturday afternoon in Death Valley, they'll do so in the presence of one of the most decorated, respected and all-time great Tigers.
LSU will honor the late Y.A. Tittle for Saturday's home game with a locker set up with his gold and purple No. 25 LSU jersey, gold helmet, pants and cleats laid out alongside the rest of the current Tigers’ uniforms. The locker is complete with a nameplate up top, featuring his No. 25 and a photo of him from his LSU days.Tittle died last Sunday evening at a local hospital in Palo Alto, California of natural causes. He was 90 years old.
Title had a decorated career with LSU, where he played quarterback from 1944-47, before he went on to have a successful 17-year career in professional football. He is a member of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“The LSU family lost one of the all-time greats this weekend in Y.A. Tittle,” said LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva in the school's press release. “Our thoughts are with his daughter Dianne and his extended family and friends as we join them in celebrating the life of a great man and one of the most decorated Tigers to ever play the game.”
Before the Go Team and the Bandits, the BCS and the Playoffs.
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 10, 2017
Before the national titles and the retired jerseys.
There was Y.A. Tittle. pic.twitter.com/SxsL2flOyi
“First of all, I'd like to send our thoughts and prayers to the family of Y.A. Tittle, great player, even better man who was loved by LSU,” current coach Ed Orgeron echoed in the release. “LSU Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of the toughest guys to play the quarterback position. He'll be sorely missed.”
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Tittle set multiple records during his three years with the Tigers, including career passing yards (2,517), completed passes (166), passing touchdowns (21), total career yards (2,619) and touchdown passes in a season (11).
Check out the scene from the LSU locker room this week:
We remember #LSU legend Y.A. Tittle with a special locker inside Tiger Stadium. Tittle passed away Sunday evening. https://t.co/fsJ3wt11gs pic.twitter.com/C48Vuv72ER
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 13, 2017