THIBODAUX, LA - Pete Jenkins has a storied coaching career that spans more than 50 years. From 1964 to 2017, Jenkins has coached at the high school, college, and professional level. Most recently Jenkins retired after returning to LSU for one final season as the defensive line coach. 

Fresh out of retirement, Jenkins hosted a three day offensive and defensive lineman camp for high school players at Nicholls State University. His staff included several assistants from NFL teams, including New Orleans Saints DL coach Ryan Nielsen and the mission was simple.

"It's all about helping them out with fundamentals," said Jenkins. "We don't do any scheme. It's all hands, footwork, explosion, I want them to leave here better tacklers." 

Of course it was only natural that Jenkins fielded questions about his former team the LSU Tigers. When asked by NFL analyst Mike Detellier about LSU's stud defensive end Rashard Lawrence, Jenkins reverted to his inner Ric Flair.

"Woo, woo," smiled Jenkins. "I've been coaching 52 years, he might be the toughest player I've ever coached. He is a tough hombre."

As for his buddy and head coach of the LSU Tigers Ed Orgeron, he said the relationship from their days together at USC made it poetic in coming back to Baton Rouge, so he could help Orgeron fulfill his dream of being head coach at LSU.

However, despite all the criticism that is currently hovering over the state of the LSU football program, Jenkins believes three events have played a major impact in peoples opinion of Orgeron and LSU. 

"Let me tell you, had we knocked down that hail marry pass by Notre Dame with 80 seconds left on the clock, had a couple of those recruits at the end of the year signed with LSU, had Canada and that problem not existed, Ed would have 10 wins," admitted Jenkins. "Everybody would be saying whoa! They're on their way, those three things have affected peoples image of what's going on at LSU."