Les Miles, Matt Flynn, & Ricky Jean-Francois

LSU BCS National Championship Trophy Presentation Interviews

delivered 6 January 2008, Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Audio mp3 of Address

  Chris Rose: Coach, I know it's a big party up here. I know you want to go celebrate with your kids. It has been an amazing year for your guys. So many close games, triple overtime losses. You've had to dispel rumors and hold impromptu news conferences. What did you learn about your kids that you didn't know about them back in August?

Les Miles: Nothing. I knew they were competitive. I knew they'd fight like hell. I knew they would win. We had great confidence. I can only tell you by the grace of God we're here. But once we got here, we were going to do our best.

Chris Rose: Three straight 11-win seasons for LSU. Two national championships in the last five seasons. Have the Tigers become the dominant team in college football?

Les Miles: Well, very humbly -- very humbly, it's one of the great programs in college football. It's -- It's a great place to get an education, great place to win championships.

Chris Rose: We talked about it last year, when you stood on stage after your victory in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, what it meant to the people of New Orleans, and Louisiana, the entire South, in dealing with Hurricane Katrina. I imagine having about 50,000 of your closest friends here tonight didn't hurt, right?

Les Miles: We enjoy playing in this arena. We enjoy playing in front of the state of Louisiana and the great people of LSU, I promise you.

Chris Rose: Coach, congratulations.

Les Miles: Thank you very much, Chris.

  Chris Rose: Time right now to give out the individual honors. The offensive MVP of the game: Matt Flynn. Not a bad way to end your college career.

Matt Flynn: Yeah, it's not bad at all. It's pretty -- pretty sweet, a dream come true. It really is.

Chris Rose: Listen, you had to bide your time behind Matt Mauck, and then JaMarcus Russell as well . Did you ever think that, you know, starting at LSU, let alone winning a national championship, was a possibility for this kid from Tyler, Texas?

Matt Flynn: You know, I -- I never knew, but I dreamt, you know. And, you know, I feel extremely blessed to have this last year and to be a part of such a great team and great guys and have such great fans support us and, you know, we just feel honored to be here and get this opportunity.

Chris Rose: You know, you guys went against the #1 defense in the entire country. How were you able to almost drop 40 on them?

Matt Flynn: Well, just execution. We came out here with a -- the right frame of mind. And, you know, we prepared well. You know, we had a bunch of weeks to prepare for this game and, you know, we just came out here and executed and -- and just kept hanging in there. And, you know, I give it to our offensive line and our receivers blocking out in the perimeter. They did a great job and, you know, their the reason we're standing here.    

Chris Rose: Career high four TD tosses. Matt Flynn, congratulations on that.

  Chris Rose: Time right now for defensive MVP honors, and that goes to a sophomore: Ricky Jean-Francois. Come on up here, big boy. I don't think there's a question that your field goal block, when it was 10-10, swung the momentum in this game. After that, you guys scored 21 straight points. Was that the big changing point?

Ricky Jean-Francois: I believe so. I believe that was the changing point. Before that, my coach told me, "Ricky, just get down lowest you can, and just come full speed and try to block it. You might don't but at least you tried." Well I did my best. I blocked it. And I was just hoping somebody would just pick it up from my team.

  Chris Rose: Yeah, show me those big hands. Those are -- Those are big -- Yeah, that's not fair. Alright, listen. For you, personally, it's been a trying season. You -- You were suspended the first 12 games because of some off-field issues. What did you learn about yourself.

Ricky Jean-Francois: It made -- It made me start appreciating everything -- my school, my football, my family, everybody around me, my coaches, my friends -- it just made me appreciate everything. So when I look at everything now, I'm going to appreciate it. I ain't going to take it for granted no more.     

Chris Rose: Well, obvious good thoughts on that one. Take those big hands and put it on that championship trophy, my friend. Congratulations. LSU: The first school to win two BCS national championships.

Book/CDs by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Published by McGraw-Hill (2008)

Page Updated: 1/13/20

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