Delpit, Does A Little Talking

[LSUDad]

 

LSU’s All-American Safety Delpit Embracing Lofty Expectations

POSTED BY RAYMOND PARTSCH III ON JULY 15, 2019 IN BLOGS, FEATURED, LATEST NEWS, RP3'S BLOGS, SEC MEDIA DAYS

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HOOVER — Grant Delpit has no problem accepting the lofty praise his head coach heaps onto his shoulders.

The LSU junior safety became the ninth consensus Unanimous All-American his Tigers history last season when Delpit racked up 73 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks and an Southeastern Conference-leading five interceptions.

So when LSU third-year head coach Ed Orgeron confidentially proclaimed in his opening statement at SEC Media Days on Monday that the 6-foot-3, 203-pound defensive back was the best returning defensive player in the country — Delpit didn’t argue.

“Yeah, I think that is a great choice,” Delpit said. “I have all the confidence in Coach O and Coach (Dave) Aranda, because they put me in the right place to make plays.”

Making plays is all Delpit did inn 2018. There were the tone-setting interceptions against Ole Piss and Auburn and not to mention the intelligence Delpit displayed by not being fooled by a fake field goal against Georgia. 

All of that made Delpit one of the nation’s most heralded defensive players and a finalist for the Nagurski Award.

The expectation for the upcoming season is that Delpit, who will wear No. 7 as did previous stars Patrick Peterson and Leonard Fornette, will be making the right plays once again for the Tigers. 

To do that, LSU must replace key pieces from last year’s 10-win team that ended the season winning the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl over University of Central Florida. 

LSU junior safety Grant Delpit talks to the media Monday during SEC Media Days in Hoover. — Photo by Clint Domingue

A list of players that includes safety John Battle, cornerback Greedy Williams and linebacker Devin White who became the first Tiger linebacker to win the Dick Butkus Award. 

“We just got to reload,” Delpit said. “Devin (White) was the most vocal person I have ever been around and the best linebacker I ever played with. I just learned from him.”

Delpit, and his fellow defenders, also learn from playing against the best wide receivers in the country — including the group from arch rival Alabama which features the trio of Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Riggs III.

“We love playing against good receivers,” Delpit said. “It shows the best on the best, and I think we have the best defensive backs in the nation. We also have great receivers too that we go up against every day in practice.”

The series against Alabama has long been considered LSU’s biggest rivalry. The way last season’s game seven-overtime loss to Texas A&M ended, including a few scuffles afterwards, may have elevated the rivalry between the Tigers and Aggies. Key word is may.

“I don’t know about a rivalry, but I think they are coming in as a bigger competitor,” Delpit said. “They are doing a great job over there. We got them at home, so I am going to be ready for that game.”

So with a schedule that features LSU hosting Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M and going on the road to play at Texas and Alabama, which game is the player Orgeron calls the “best returning defender” in the country looking forward to the most?

The first one against Georgia Southern on August 31st.

“Week One,” Delpit said. “We can’t take any team for granted.”