One of the best quarterbacks in LSU history, and the all-time leading passer has weighed in on QB Joe Burrow’s contributions to the team this season.

Tommy Hodson was a Heisman Trophy contender when he played for LSU in the late 1980s. He passed for 9,115 yards in his career, the first to pass 9,000 yards in the SEC, and holds the LSU record for total yards at 8,938 (net after he lost 117 rushing yards) and holds the LSU record with 69 touchdowns. Perhaps most importantly, Hodson leads all LSU quarterbacks with 31 career victories.

Although Burrow is “tough as nails” in Hodson’s mind, he statistics are a little below average from a college standpoint. Hodson said there should be an asterisk around those numbers because Burrow’s been hit plenty. He’s been sacked 18 times, and Hodson believed the average sacks for a top 10 team is 10.

“He’s been hit a lot more, I don’t think they’ve protected him particularly well in passing downs, and he’s not taken a lot of negative plays,” Hodson said on WAFB. “He hasn’t put the ball in jeopardy, he hasn’t thrown a bunch of picks. He’s made plays when he’s had to make plays whether it’s with his feet, or his arm. His decision making has been good, so I think he’s been the glue to hold the team together.”

Hodson also called Burrow the MVP from a game management and leadership standpoint.

Joe Burrow