SI.com · Nov 30, 2016
Jamal Adams and LSU’s ‘DBU’ Tradition
Jonathan Bachman/Getty ImagesCOLLEGE STATION, Texas — Jamal Adams emerged from the visitors locker room carrying his Thanksgiving dinner—a chicken sandwich in a box—his LSU backpack, and the sense of pride that comes with laying waste to the home team on Thanksgiving. The junior safety made his presence felt on the very first drive against Texas A&M, with a third-down sack of Trevor Knight en route to a 54-39 victory. It was a play reminiscent of former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu, whose exploits in coverage and as a blitzer and tackler earned him the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defensive player in 2011. Mathieu is one of the standard-bearers for what current LSU defensive backs describe as a “fraternity,” the cult of position known as DBU.