Interim LSU AD Verge Ausberry addresses Tigers football team
By Jacob Moss
Published:
It’s been a pretty hectic week for the LSU Tigers football program, with former head coach Brian Kelly getting fired on Sunday, and the ensuing media frenzy causing all manner of distractions.
Following Kelly’s departure, athletic director Scott Woodward also hit the exit on Thursday, a move many saw coming after Gov. Jeff Landry’s comments about Woodward’s potential role in the search for Kelly’s replacement.
All of this has been taking place while LSU’s players and staff have been preparing to take on No. 4 Alabama on the road next Saturday. In the wake of all this turmoil, interim AD and former LSU player Verge Ausberry addressed the team on Friday morning, urging them to “block out the noise” and “have fun.”
“Have fun. Enjoy what you do,” Ausberry said. “You have to love what you do. We’ve been through this here. We’ve been through this process. Now it’s your turn, it’s your process. All those guys behind, all the players, those who are not here, guess what? They love LSU.
“When we walk into that stadium again, we want to feel that buzz. All of us — as a former player — we want to feel that buzz when we walk in that stadium… Enjoy this, have fun, block everything out, and play football.”
Ausberry was a standout linebacker for the Tigers from 1986 to 1989, and a member of their 1986 and 1988 SEC Championship-winning squads. He’s been a part of the athletic department at his alma mater since the early 90s, and will now be serving as the interim AD until a full-time replacement for Woodward can be found.
