LSU tackle Chris Faulk likely out for season
LSU coach Les Miles announced after Wednesday’s practice that junior left tackle Chris Faulk would miss Saturday’s game against Washington with an unspecified injury.
Now it appears Faulk will miss the rest of the season as well.
LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette confirmed Friday that the injury Faulk suffered at practice this week was to his knee. The injury will require surgery and rehab and is likely to sideline the 6-foot-6, 325-pound lineman for the remainder of LSU’s season, Bonnette said.
Faulk has started 14 career games at left tackle, protecting the quarterback’s blind side. His start last weekend against North Texas was the 16th of his career, including two at right tackle as a freshman.
Before the injury, Faulk was considered a possible first-round pick in the NFL draft.
The graduate of Northshore High in Slidell redshirted as a true freshman in 2009. He is eligible to receive a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA after playing in only one game as a junior, but that request would not happen until after Faulk plays his senior season.
LSU will now have to make do for the long haul without a player who last year earned a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference second team.
Miles said one option is to plug in sixth-year senior Josh Dworaczyk, a starter at left guard his sophomore and junior seasons, at left tackle. Another is to have Dworaczyk play left guard and slide starting left guard La’el Collins — the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation coming out of Redemptorist two years ago — move into Faulk’s old position.
LSU could also switch right tackle Alex Hurst to left tackle and have freshman tackle Vadal Alexander play the right side.
Claiborne says thanks
A billboard featuring former LSU star Morris Claiborne is on display on I-10 west of College Drive. Drivers can see the billboard on their left as they are headed north toward downtown.
On the billboard, Claiborne thanks the Baton Rouge community for its support of him during his LSU career.
Claiborne was the No. 6 pick of last year’s NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, who opened their season Wednesday with an upset of the New York Giants.
Claiborne will be in town Saturday to serve as the guest captain for the LSU-Washington game.
Red Cross in stadium
American Red Cross volunteers will be around and inside Tiger Stadium for Saturday’s game, asking fans to drop off coins, cash and checks to raise money for disaster relief efforts.
Volunteers will be inside the stadium through the third quarter.
“LSU fans stepped up with other SEC schools last year when tornadoes ripped through Tuscaloosa (Ala.) and elsewhere, donating more than $8,000 at a baseball game,” Bobbi Zaunbrecher, chapter executive of the Red Cross in south Louisiana, said in a statement. “We’re hopeful our generous football fans will top that figure for our neighbors affected by (Hurricane) Isaac.”
More than 10,000 people in Louisiana have stayed at Red Cross shelters since Aug. 27, before Isaac made landfall.
Fans who aren’t at the game can make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999.