Tommy Hodson: Steve Franz, LSU Sports Information.
Tom Hodson
Tom Hodson quarterbacked for Central Lafourche High School. When he went on to play for LSU, he was an integral part of the Tiger’s success. Hodson was the starting quarterback for all four seasons during his tenure from 1986-1989. In this position, Hodson led LSU to two SEC Championships, first as a freshman in 1986 and then as a junior in 1988. During his 44 regular season games, Hodson passed for 9,115 yards and 69 touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in SEC history to surpass 8,000 career passing yards and 60 career passing touchdowns. During his freshman season, Hodson was voted to the first team of the All-SEC Team, becoming the first LSU quarterback to be awarded that honor since the legendary Bert Jones in 1972. Hodson would go on to be selected to the first team of the All-SEC Team during each of his four seasons at LSU, becoming the only player in LSU history to achieve that feat.
Hodson will always be remembered for a last-minute play in the October 8, 1988 game between LSU and Auburn. His game-winning touchdown pass to Eddie Fuller gave the Tigers a 7-6 win over Auburn. The play caused such a thunderous explosion from the 79,341 in attendance at Tiger Stadium that the LSU Geology Department registered vibrations on a seismograph machine at the exact moment the touchdown was scored.
Hodson later went on to be drafted by the New England Patriots, 59th overall in the 1990 NFL Draft, and stayed in the NFL for approximately five years, playing for the Patriots, and later the New Orleans Saints. Hodson now lives in Baton Rouge and is a co-owner of a company that sells transformers to Entergy and Cleco.
Hodson’s interview is housed in the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History at LSU Libraries Special Collections. Hodson, Tom, et al., interview by Jim Hawthorne, audio recording, 1993, 4700.0264. Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections, LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.