Why Todd Walker Deserves a Spot on LSU’s Mt. Rushmore

Over the years, LSU has had no shortage of legendary athletes. Pete Maravich, Shaq, Ben McDonald, Joe Burrow, Billy Cannon...and that's just to name a few. However, there's one player that rarely gets mentioned in the LSU GOAT conversation, which I think is a bit of an injustice. And, of course I'm talking about LSU Legend and Bossier City Native Todd Walker.

"Arguably, Todd Walker is the Greatest Player in LSU Baseball History"

That quote above isn't something I came up with - that came directly from his official LSU sports page. Maybe because it happened in the early 90s and he didn't become a cultural phenomenon like Joe Burrow or Pete or Shaq, but Todd had some of the best seasons college baseball has ever seen.

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Walker broke several SEC & LSU records. He was a two-time first team All-American. He was the unanimous Freshman of the Year in in 92, he was Louisiana player of the year in 93 as well as the College World Series Most Outstanding Player...in short, Todd's time at LSU was nothing short of legendary. In 1994, he broke Rafael Palmeiro's records for RBIs and total bases.

He's in the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He's in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. His number is retired by LSU. At the college level, he accomplished pretty much everything you could possibly imagine.

Does Todd Walker Deserve a Spot on LSU's Mt. Rushmore?

A fun argument/conversation is always the 'Mt. Rushmore' debate. 4 legends that rise above the rest on any subject. This morning, I was debating with my buddy Greg about Todd Walker's position in LSU history. I firmly believe that he belongs on LSU's Mt. Rushmore.

There's a lot of reason but here's one of main arguments: He committed to LSU and stayed there. Yes, Paul Skenes and Joe Burrow were GREAT at LSU. They were legendary in the Purple and Gold. But, they were both transfers. They didn't commit to LSU and grow with the program. They were essentially free agents that were recruited to do exactly what they did. Doesn't diminish their accomplishments in the least, but I do think that removes them from the Mt. Rushmore conversation because they weren't originally LSU guys.

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Plus in most of the LSU Mt. Rushmore discussions I've seen online, LSU baseball is completely ignored - which is wrong in itself. LSU Baseball is one of the most successful baseball programs in the country - so it shouldn't be ignored, especially with some of the incredible talent that has put on that jersey.

So, here's my LSU Mt. Rushmore based off of stats, impact, and commitment to LSU:

• Billy Cannon. Billy Cannon helped lead LSU to their first National Championship in 1958. He won LSU's first Heisman Trophy in 1959. He's had his #20 retired by the Tigers. The man was an absolute game changer for LSU and their Football program.
• Shaq O'Neal. I was torn between Pistol Pete & Shaq. But, I opted for Shaq because he's probably the most famous and recognizable LSU athlete of all-time. The man, to this day, is a cultural phenomenon. He's a 2x SEC Male Athlete of the Year and holds 2 NCAA records for blocks and rebounds. And his 33 is retired by the Tigers.
• Todd Walker. For all the reasons I've mentioned in this post, Todd has more than earned a spot on LSU's Mt. Rushmore. There's nobody who accomplished more on a baseball field in an LSU uniform than Todd Walker.
• Kevin Faulk. In modern LSU football, is there anyone more deserving than Kevin? He started the trend of in-state superstars staying in Louisiana and attending LSU. From 95-98, he set LSU records for Rushing Yards & Rushing TDs. When he left LSU, he had the SEC record for all-purpose yards. All in all, when he left college, held 17 different LSU & SEC records. He's in the College Football Hall of Fame and returned to LSU as an assistant coach to help the next great group of LSU talent.