LSU names guest captains for Saturday’s game against South Carolina
By Jyesha Nance
Published:
No. 11 LSU and South Carolina will meet for the 23rd time in history on Saturday for an SEC showdown in Death Valley. This meeting holds even more significance as the Tigers will welcome back three former guest captains: Bradie James, Jacob Phillips and RJ Jackson. James and Phillips were linebackers at LSU, while RJ Jackson was a wide receiver.
James was a part of the Tigers from 1999-2002 and was one of the most outstanding student-athletes in program history. In 2002, he earned First Team All-American honors, as well as being named a National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation. Additionally, he ranked second in LSU history in career tackles with 418, including 32 tackles for loss.
James set the LSU single-season tackle record with 154 in 2002, breaking the mark of 150 set by Al Richardson in 1981. He played in 46 games, with 34 starts at linebacker. James was also a two-time First Team All-SEC pick, as well as a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2001. In 2002, he became a team captain and moved to Mike linebacker in his final season after playing his first three seasons at Will linebacker.
James was drafted as the No. 103 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played eight seasons with the Cowboys and his final NFL season with the Houston Texans in 2012, amassing 823 total tackles and 16 sacks in his NFL tenure.
Phillips was a member of the Tigers from 2017-2019. Over his three seasons, he was a two-year starter at linebacker. In 2019, he led the Tigers in tackles and finished second on the team behind first-round draft pick Devin White in 2018.
Phillips established himself as a leader on the LSU defense as a junior, playing in 39 games with 26 starts, including all 15 games in 2019. He amassed 218 career tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. After his tenure with the Tigers, he was selected No. 97 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns and is now a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Jackson was a member of the Tigers from 2005-2009, playing in 39 games with one start during his career at LSU. He originally signed as a running back but moved to wide receiver as a redshirt freshman in 2006. He caught 12 passes for 140 yards during his career and excelled on special teams.
