The school announced on Wednesday that Charles Alexander, the first 4,000-yard rusher in Southeastern Conference history and a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, will have his LSU jersey retired.
The LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee unanimously approved Alexander’s jersey retirement. His jersey will be retired at an LSU football game this fall.
‘I’m truly humbled by this,” Alexander said. “Playing at LSU those four years I never dreamed that one day my jersey would be retired and be on display in Tiger Stadium. To get that phone call telling me that my jersey was going to be retired is something I will never forget. I wasn’t expecting the call, but it’s truly an honor and one of my proudest moments.”
The No. 4 worn by Alexander will join the No. 20 worn by Billy Cannon, the No. 37 worn by Tommy Casanova, and the No. 21 worn by Jerry Stovall as retired jerseys in the LSU football program. All four numbers are displayed on the façade in the south end zone of Tiger Stadium.
Affectionately known by LSU fans as “Alexander the Great”, Alexander has been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame (2012) along with LSU Sports Hall of Fame (1989), and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (1993). He’s also a member of LSU football’s Team of the Century.
The Galveston, Texas natve will become the 15th LSU athlete or coach to have their jersey retired, joining other such as the Cannon and Casanova; women’s basketball players Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles; men’s basketball players Bob Pettit, Pete Maravich, Rudy Macklin, Shaquille O’Neal, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf; baseball coach Skip Bertman and baseball players Ben McDonald, Eddy Furniss and Todd Walker.
Alexander was a two-time first-team All-America in the ’77 and ’78 seasons, capping his LSU career with 27 school records to his name. He rushed for 4,035 yards and 40 touchdowns during his career, both program records at the time. Alexander the Great still ranks No. 3 in LSU history in both career rushing yards and touchdowns. Alexander finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1977, followed by a fifth-place showing as a senior in 1978.
Alexander remains LSU’s all-time leader in several categories, including rushing attempts in a game (43 vs. Wyoming, 1977), rushing attempts in a season (311 in 1977), and consecutive 100-yard games (9 from 1977-78).
A two-time first-team All-SEC selection, Alexander earned conference most valuable player honors in 1977 when he rushed for 1,686 yards and 17 touchdowns, both school records at the time. He followed that with 1,172 yards and 14 TDs as a senior in 1978, becoming the first player in SEC history to break the 4,000-yard mark for career rushing yards. Alexander remains the ninth-leading rusher in SEC history.
Alexander rushed for 200 yards in a game twice during his career and topped the 100-yard mark 20 times. He set LSU’s single-game rushing record with 237 yards on 31 carries in a 56-17 win over Oregon on Oct. 22, 1977. His other 200-yard game came against Wyoming on Nov. 26, 1977, when he tallied 231 yards on a school-record 43 carries in a 66-7 win over the Cowboys.
During his final two seasons at LSU, Alexander rushed for at least one touchdown in 20 of 24 games, including a then-school-record four against Oregon and three against both Wyoming and Vanderbilt in 1977.
In his first season at LSU in 1975, Alexander earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors after rushing for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Following his LSU career, Alexander was selected in the first round with the 12th overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played seven seasons in the NFL, appearing in Super Bowl XVI with the Bengals. Alexander appeared in 102 regular-season games for the Bengals, rushing for 2,645 yards and 13 TDs over that span.
After his rookie season with the Bengals, Alexander returned to campus to finish his degree, graduating in 1980 with a degree in sociology.
Following his retirement from football after the 1985 season, Alexander spent four years as an advisor in LSU’s Academic Center for Student-Athletes, and then he worked for six years as a development officer for the Tiger Athletic Foundation. Alexander currently works in the oil and gas industry in Houston, while also creating and founding “C’mon Man” Cajun seasoning. Alexander’s “C’mon Man” Cajun seasoning, fish fry, crawfish, shrimp and crab boil, and hot sauce can be found in stores throughout Louisiana and Texas.
