“Put 2-9 in,” a disgruntled Nick Saban said into his headsets.
Travis Daniels, in his No. 29 LSU jersey, followed his coach’s orders, jogging from the sideline and onto the field during the 2001 Southeastern Conference championship game against Tennessee.
The first play of his college career came seconds later — in the third quarter of the 12th game of the season, effectively ending his planned redshirt year.
“You’re forced to play, and as a player you don’t want to let your team down (and say), ‘Oh I’m going to lose a year,’ ” Daniels said in an interview this week.