Jerry Stovall

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Jerry Stovall
Date of birth	1941
Position(s)	Defensive back, punter
College	LSU
NFL Draft	1963 / Round 1 (2nd Overall)
Pro Bowls	3 (1966, 1967, 1969)
Team(s)
1963-1971	St. Louis Cardinals

Jerry Stovall (born 1941) is a former All-American running back and head football coach for LSU. He was also a star defensive back in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals.

After graduating West Monroe High School, Stovall went to LSU, succeeding Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon at running back. Stovall was named was an All-American running back in 1962, and was the runner-up for the 1962 Heisman Trophy. He finished 89 votes behind Oregon State's Terry Baker.

Stovall was the 2nd overall pick in the NFL Draft, selected by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals converted him to full-time defensive back. During his 9 seasons with the Cardinals, Stovall had 18 interceptions in 97 games, and was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1966, 1967 and 1969 seasons.

After his NFL career, Stovall became a college football assistant coach. He eventually returned to LSU, as an assistant for head coach Charlie McClendon. When McClendon retired after the 1979 season, Stovall became his successor.

In Stovall's four years with the Tigers (1980-1983), LSU finished 7-4, 3-7-1, 8-3-1, and 4-7. Only one of Stovall's teams appeared in the final AP poll: the 1982 team. That team finished the season ranked #11 after it beat #4 Florida, #8 Alabama (Bear Bryant), and #7 Florida State (Bobby Bowden) and earned a spot in the Orange Bowl (where LSU lost 21-20 to a #3 Nebraska team led by Tom Osborne). As a result of his performance in 1982, Stovall was named the National Coach of the Year by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

After his head coaching stint at LSU, Stovall went on to take a job in banking before becoming athletic director at Louisiana Tech University from 1990 to 1993. Afterwards, Stovall became the president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation, an organization dedicated to securing sporting events for the Baton Rouge area.

Preceded by: Bo Rein

LSU Tigers Head Football Coach 1980-1983

Succeeded by: Bill Arnsparger

LSU Head Football Coaches
Coates • Simmons • Jeardeau • Chavanne • Gregg • Boreland • Killian • Wingard • Pritchard • Mayhew • Dwyer • McDonald • Bible • Sutton • Pray • Bocock • Donahue • Cohen • Jones • Moore • Tinsley • Dietzel • McClendon • Rein • Stovall • Arnsparger • Archer • Hallman • DiNardo • Saban • Miles