Jerry Stovall

Jerry Lane Stovall — known to all of Louisiana as "Mr. Everything" — was born on April 30, 1941, in West Monroe, Louisiana, the son of William Stovall and a family that taught him, above all else, the value of hard work. He grew up to become one of the most complete football players his state had ever produced, yet those who knew him best remembered something larger than his statistics: a man of deep faith, fierce loyalty, and quiet humility. Stovall arrived at Louisiana State University in 1960 as the very last scholarship awarded in his recruiting class — No. 52 of 52. Coach Paul Dietzel famously called him "that skinny little runt from West Monroe," yet by the time Stovall had finished his junior and senior seasons in Tiger Stadium, the label had given way to something far grander. From 1960 to 1962, he rushed for 1,081 yards and 13 touchdowns, hauled in 462 receiving yards, amassed nearly 700 return yards on special teams, and recorded seven interceptions — all while averaging 42.1 yards per punt. He helped LSU claim the 1961 SEC Championship and victories in the Orange and Cotton Bowls. As a senior in 1962, he was a unanimous All-American, the SEC Player of the Year, and the Heisman Trophy runner-up, finishing just 89 points behind Oregon State's Terry Baker. Selected second overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1963 NFL Draft, Stovall played nine professional seasons as a safety and punter, earning three Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors and recording 18 career interceptions. When his playing days ended, he returned to coaching — first under Dietzel at South Carolina, then back at LSU as an assistant from 1974 to 1978. His most defining test came after tragedy. In December 1980, newly hired LSU head coach Bo Rein died in a plane crash. Dietzel, now Athletic Director, turned to the one man he trusted unconditionally. Stovall accepted reluctantly, saying he would give up the job in an instant if it meant Rein could come back. He coached LSU through 1983, and his 1982 squad — which defeated three top-10 opponents and reached the Orange Bowl — earned him SEC Coach of the Year and Walter Camp Foundation National Coach of the Year honors. After football, Stovall built a second career in service to his state: banking, athletic director at Louisiana Tech University, and more than two decades as President and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation. His No. 21 jersey was retired and hung in Tiger Stadium in 2018. He was inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame (1977), the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (1981), and the College Football Hall of Fame (2010). Jerry Stovall passed away on August 31, 2026, in Baton Rouge at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife Judy, his high school sweetheart and partner since February 1962, and their two children, Jay and Jodi. He wanted nothing more than to be remembered as a man of God — and he was, without apology.