SEC football media days: LSU's Jordan Jefferson wants to change fans' perceptions

HOOVER, Ala. -- Jordan Jefferson exhibited Zen-like patience in front of the microphone Friday at SEC media days, withstanding an unrelenting line of questions that could cut to the very core of even the proudest football player.

How do you feel when you hear LSU is a quarterback away from being a national title contender?

Why has your career been so up and down?

When last season was the low point?

“I’m doing a lot to change the perception of a lot of peoples’ opinions this year,” the senior signal caller said confidently, embracing his last chance.

No accomplished SEC quarterback this side of Stephen Garcia has been as maligned as Jefferson, a 6-foot-5, 224-pound dual threat who has tantalized Tigers fans with his potential yet disappointed them with his inconsistency the last three years.

This is someone with a 20-7 record, after all. With a strong season he’ll be the school’s all-time winningest quarterback. He could be the first player in LSU history to start four bowl games.

Yet quarterback remains the missing piece for LSU, which returns 10 starters and, as usual, should boast a defense among the best.

The questions are warranted. Despite his record, Jefferson’s erratic play has frustrated Tigers fans for years. After throwing for 2,166 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2009, Jefferson took a step back last year, throwing for 1,411 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

LSU won in spite of Jefferson, not because of him. During one stretch, he went seven games without a touchdown pass. Against McNeese State, the Tigers pulled back the reigns, allowing him to throw the ball only eight times for 28 yards.

“That’s a situation that I’ve never been a part of and I’ve been playing football for 13 years,” Jefferson said.

Jefferson and since-departed offensive coordinator Gary Crowton never seemed on the same page. Jefferson thought the Tigers’ conservative approach didn’t help. He said they’d run on first and second down, making the majority of his passes coming in third-and-long situations.

He didn’t connect often. And the fans expressed their frustration however they could, be it in person or on message boards.

“I’ve certainly instructed my team to avoid the Internet,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “Those people that sign their name ‘Slick Willie’ don’t necessarily have legitimate opinions.

“The things that we do and the criticism that he sustains happens within our team room. And as long as he can make the people in that room happy, that’s really all that matters.”

Jefferson had what appeared to be a breakthrough in the bowl game, throwing for 158 yards and three touchdowns and adding 67 yards and a score on the ground in LSU’s 41-24 Cotton Bowl victory against Texas A&M.

Two developments this offseason give Tigers fans cautious hope that it was not a mirage. First, junior college transfer Zach Mettenberger joined the team in January, lighting a fire under Jefferson, who maintained his No. 1 spot with a strong spring.

Second, LSU hired Steve Kragthorpe, a two-time college head coach and NFL assistant who is known for developing quarterbacks, as its offensive coordinator.

“I feel like coach Kragthorpe is behind me 100 percent,” Jefferson said.

“I know he’s doing a lot of things that are helping me become better, so in the short amount of time, I feel like I’ve improved a lot because he’s focused on the smallest things that a quarterback needs to be successful. I feel like he’s all in for me.”

Now, Jefferson is prepared to prove his doubters wrong, armed with a fresh mind set and renewed confidence despite his spotty history.

He wants to be the one to lead the Tigers to big things, not the one holding them back.

“Senior year is the year when you have to go out with a bang,” Jefferson said. “It’s the most important year of your career; it’s all about how you finish. Hopefully this year is special.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "SEC football media days: LSU's Jordan Jefferson wants to change fans' perceptions."