CHRISTIAN LaCOUTURE TO RETURN TO LSU IN 2017

BATON ROUGE – LSU defensive lineman Christian LaCouture announced Thursday that he has decided to remain with the program for another season and will play for head coach Ed Orgeron and the Tigers in 2017.

 

LaCouture missed all of the 2016 season with a knee injury that he suffered during preseason practice. In his three years on the field, LaCouture has played in 37 games with 23 starts and recorded 86 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

 

“The last couple of days have been good days for the LSU family,” Orgeron said after practice on Thursday. “Going through your career you get a chance to meet and coach great young men. Some guys will go above and beyond for their football team and Christian LaCouture is one of those guys.

 

“Christian (LaCouture) had a chance to do something special and through many recruiting talks between the two of us, he decided to remain on our football team next season and we are very excited about his decision.”

 

LaCouture, who played as a true freshman in 2013, will be a fifth-year senior in 2017.

 

“Coach ‘O’ (Orgeron), coach (Dave) Aranda, coach Pete (Jenkins), and I have had extensive talks about next year,” LaCouture said. “We had great talks and his plan of bringing in (offensive coordinator) Matt Canada, knowing what he did at Pittsburgh putting up 42 points a game.

 

“With Coach O and coach Aranda having the great defense we had this year and the excitement around the room and the program, I am excited to be here and be part of this football team for another season. I’m going to do anything that coach ‘O’ asks me to do. I am very excited and very happy for this opportunity. I just want to get back on the field and be a team leader and help us make a run at the College Football Playoffs next year.”

 

LaCouture has already graduated as he earned his LSU degree in sports administration in the August of 2016. He will continue his pursuit of a Master’s degree through the spring and into next year.