Best LSU football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore – From Tyrann Mathieu to Joe Burrow

The eventual No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, cornerback Patrick Peterson is one of the founders that truly established the LSU Tigers as DBU. While he may not have had the most productive statistical career in his time playing in Baton Rouge, he was an absolute stud when you watched him and also made an impact on special teams.

Over the course of his three-year college career with the Tigers, Peterson racked up 135 total tackles with seven interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 22 passes defended. In addition to being a lockdown corner on defense, Peterson also had two kickoff return touchdowns and nearly cleared 1,000 yards as a junior punt returner for LSU.

In that junior campaign, as well as being a stud returner, Peterson set career highs in interceptions (4) and pass breakups. For his efforts, he hauled in plenty of hardware as he was named a First-Team All-American, captured SEC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Awards as well.

For as great as that all seems, just watching Peterson on the field was more impressive than any award or box score will tell you. The cornerback was like glue on opposing receivers and the stuff of nightmares for opposing quarterbacks. At DBU, that’s enough to land him on the modern era Mount Rushmore.