Cushenberry, Chaisson given No. 18 jersey honors this season at LSU

BATON ROUGE – Two LSU standouts – both in the classroom and on the football field – have been awarded the No. 18 jersey as head coach Ed Orgeron presented center Lloyd Cushenberry and outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson with the prestigious number on Thursday night.

Cushenberry, a junior from Dutchtown High School in Geismar, becomes the first offensive lineman to wear No. 18. Chaisson is a redshirt sophomore from North Shore High School in Houston.

Both players were presented their new number at a team meeting that wrapped up LSU’s first day of training camp.

As an offensive lineman, the rules of college football prevent Cushenberry from actually wearing the No. 18 jersey so instead his No. 79 jersey will be accompanied by a No. 18 patch.

Chaisson, who wore No. 4 a year ago, will wear No. 18 on the field.

It’s the second time since the tradition started back in 2003 that two Tigers have been issued the No. 18 jersey in the same season. Tight end J.D. Moore and current LSU graduate assistant Christian LaCouture both wore No. 18 in 2017.

LSU’s jersey No. 18 tradition was born in 2003 when quarterback Matt Mauck led the Tigers to their first national title in football since 1958. Mauck’s No. 18 became synonymous with success – both on and off the field – as well as a selfless attitude that has become the epitome of being an LSU football player.

After his final season at LSU, Mauck passed the No. 18 jersey down to running back Jacob Hester, who later led the Tigers to another national title in 2007.

Cushenberry and Chaisson join an impressive list of LSU standouts to wear No. 18, including tight end Foster Moreau, who donned the jersey in 2018. Moreau was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and graduated from LSU in December of last year with a degree in sports administration.

Here’s a complete list of the former players to wear No. 18

Year(s) Player (Position)
2001-03 Matt Mauck (quarterback)
2004-07 Jacob Hester (running back)
2008-09 Richard Dickson (tight end)
2010 Richard Murphy (running back)
2011 Brandon Taylor (safety)
2012 Bennie Logan (defensive tackle)
2013 Lamin Barrow (linebacker)
2014 Terrance Magee (running back)
2015-16 Tre’Davious White (cornerback)
2017 Christian LaCouture (defensive line)
2017 J.D. Moore (tight end)
2018 Foster Moreau (tight end)
2019 K’Lavon Chaisson (outside linebacker)
2019 Lloyd Cushenberry (center)