Unsung Heroes: The value of LSU’s Walk-ons

By Marcus Roberts

Every Saturday there is a certain list of names you hear often throughout an LSU game. Leonard Fournette. Tre’Davious White. Kendall Beckwith. The list goes on and on, yet it is incomplete every Saturday. Have you heard about Reshaud Henry? Hunter Burns? If you read local newspaper, The Advocate, you may have read about Brandon Surtain.

What do these three young men have in common? They are all walk-ons. For those that do not know, a walk-on is a player who may have not been scouted or recruited by a college team, but has chosen to forego a scholarship to be a part of their school’s athletic team and at a whopping 35, LSU has one of the largest number of non-scholarship walk-ons in college football. That’s enough for a whole offense and defense with back-ups. But you may wonder something: If these guys were able to make the LSU team, why haven’t I heard of them or seen them play?

This could be attributed to a variety of reasons. They may be redshirting, a process that involves taking a season to get adjusted to the program before being able to contribute on the field. They might not be strong enough yet to outshine another guy on the team. The depth of their position may just be so large that they can’t find a way to break the game day roster. Whatever the reason may be, these men are integral to the success of LSU’s program regardless of on-field time.

Scout team is where these guys shine the most for now. The purpose of the scout team is to give the Brandon Harris’ and Kendall Beckwith’s a great preview of what to expect on the following Saturday when they play against the other teams. Walk-ons are instructed by the coaches to give great effort and to provide a realistic look (without making violent contact) for their teammates in order to put the team in a position to counter the opposing teams plays.

On some occasions, walk-ons are asked to step up to fill a position on the game day roster due to their merits on scout team. This season, walk-on Jonathan Rucker was selected to show his abilities on special teams and had generated positive results prior to being injured late in the season. He is expected to be healthy for next season, where he may contribute even more. He may even earn a scholarship, a sign that the coaches trust a player’s abilities to improve themselves and the team.

Although they don’t get the recognition some of their other teammates may receive, walk-ons provide a great service to the team and are a vital part of any great team. Their role isn’t glamourous or as rewarding as the starters, but they are just as valuable. So the next time you hear about Brandon Harris escaping a sack and making a completion down the field, just know that he had escaped a sack from Rory Luke and Jordan Harper at practice, and Malachi Dupree had out-maneuvered Lionel Williams on the same play.

Photo Courtesy of LSU Athletics