By CODY WORSHAM | Tiger Rag Editor
At 6-foot-5, 282 pounds, Brian Bridgewater certainly has the frame to be a football player, a suggestion more than one fan has tossed his way since he signed with LSU’s basketball team four years ago.
This fall, the Tiger hoops forward hopes to put that concept to the test.
Bridgewater, who will be honored at Senior Day on Wednesday when the Tigers take on Tennessee, told Tiger Rag he will “hopefully” be on the gridiron this fall.
“That’s a possibility,” he said, “if things go according to how they’re supposed too. Hopefully that’s an option. If not I’ll have to see what door opens for me.”
The Baton Rouge native played one year of high school football as a junior at Episcopal, and was good enough to earn offers from LSU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.
Bridgewater said he hasn’t spoken with LSU football coach Ed Orgeron yet, but has spoken with some in the football ops building about a potential transition. Though he is listed as a senior, he did not play in 2013-14 while dealing with academic issues regarding high school credits transferring to LSU.
If he makes it to the field, he’ll look to suit up as a tight end — he points to Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzales, and Jimmy Graham as former power forwards turned pass-catchers he hopes to emulate — but hasn’t started running routes yet.
“I’ve been focused on basketball,” he said. “That’s all I want to do right now. Especially the way things are going this season. I don’t think it would be right for me to be selfish, to do that to my teammates. I have my head on right and I’m sticking with basketball so far.”
The interdisciplinary studies major is eyeing an August graduation. Then, he hopes, it’s on to a new journey — same place, different sport.
“That’ll be a great accomplishment in my life. I’ll be the second (sibling) to graduate from LSU,” he said. “From there who knows? I have football in the back of my mind.”
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