Jerry Stovall, who was “Mr. Everything” at LSU as a player and a Walter Camp award winner as a coach, died Monday in Baton Rouge, La. He was 85.
After growing up in West Monroe, La., Stovall played for the Tigers from 1960-62 as a halfback, safety, punter and kick returner. He was the runner-up to Oregon State quarterback Terry Baker for the Heisman Trophy in 1962, the same year Stovall was a unanimous All-American.
In 2010, he was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Jerry Stovall was one of the great all-around players of his era and a tremendous representative of LSU and the game of college football,” National Football Foundation chairman Archie Manning said in a statement.
“There simply wasn’t much he couldn’t do on a football field. He ran the ball, caught passes, punted, returned kicks and played defense, and he did it all at an All-America level. His impact on LSU extended well beyond his playing days as a coach and leader in the Baton Rouge community. We are deeply saddened by his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the entire LSU community.”
Stovall amassed over 1,000 yards rushing on the ground at LSU and had a 42.1-yard punting average that at the time set the Tigers’ record for a single season. His college accolades led to him being a first-round draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he played nine seasons (1963-71) and made three Pro Bowls as a safety.
After Stovall retired from the NFL, he returned to LSU, where he was the head coach from 1980-83, putting together a 22-21-2 overall record. In 1982, when he was named the Walter Camp national coach of the year, he led the Tigers to an 8-3-1 record while beating three top 10 teams earning an Orange Bowl appearance.
Stovall was inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977, and his uniform No. 21 was retired in Tiger Stadium in 2018.
–Field Level Media
