Alleman readies for Dome return
A picture that ran in The Advocate sports section in December 2006 showed a junior kicker named Drew Alleman leaping from the Superdome turf and into the arms of a jubilant Acadiana High teammate.
Alleman had just beaten district rival Sulphur with a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the Class 5A title game.
“It was kind of the same celebration that happened at Bama this year,” Alleman said. “I kind of ran away. The team came. We partied on the field.”
When top-ranked LSU faces No. 2 Alabama on Jan. 9 in the BCS Championship Game, Alleman will trot out onto the same Superdome floor that served as a launching pad for the most memorable moment of his prep career.
He knows, again, his powerful right leg could make all the difference.
The highlight of his junior season at LSU, after all, came when he scored every point for the Tigers in a 9-6 victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The morning after the game, he appeared in an Advocate photo seemingly pulled from the archives.
Alleman had just hit from 25 yards out to win college football’s latest game of the century. He sprinted toward midfield with holder Brad Wing riding piggyback and exuberant LSU teammates exploding toward him.
“I think it’s going to be a higher-scoring game this time. We’re looking to put some touchdowns on the board, and I’m sure they are as well,” Alleman said. “But if it does come down to a kick, I’m just going to go ahead and execute it the way I’ve been executing my kicks all season.”
His teammates would surely have no problem putting the BCS title game on his foot.
Alleman, who saw spot duty as a backup punter and kickoff specialist for two years, entered his junior season having never attempted a college field goal or extra point. He had big shoes to fill following 2010 senior Josh Jasper, the most prolific kicker in the program’s history.
But instead of taking a step back, the LSU kicking game is a strength of the team once again.
Alleman has made 16 of 18 field goals with a long of 44 yards. He has missed only one extra point in 63 tries.
“We felt like Drew was ready and in position to compete extremely well,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We felt like he could well have kicked for many teams as a backup in the time that he’s been here.”
Alleman hasn’t had as many clutch opportunities as Jasper did, but he proved he’s capable in the one close game the Tigers have played.
Alabama’s two kickers combined to miss four field goals against LSU in a showcase of acclaimed defenses. Alleman made all three of his, including the overtime boot to put the Tigers on track for an unbeaten regular season.
Returning to the Superdome for the biggest game of his college career, Alleman can’t help but recall the biggest moment of his prep career.
The stage will be the same. Another title will be at stake.
“I think back to that moment and think back to what the atmosphere was like,” Alleman said. “I know going back there, my number might be called again.”