On Nov. 5, 2016, Danny Etling’s existence changed. For that was the day he was introduced to the Alabama Crimson Tide defense.
We have gathered together today to remember a promising quarterback, someone who could have been somebody – had he not met his most unfortunate demise on Nov. 5, 2016.
We are here to remember LSU quarterback Danny Etling.
A truly heartbreaking story, Etling seemed to have the entire world at his feet. As the helmsman of Corndog Nation, Etling’s chief task is to hand off to 2015 Midseason Heisman winner Leonard Fournette and watch Fournette gallop through inferior secondaries.
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On Nov. 5, 2016, however, Etling’s existence changed.
For that was the day he was introduced to the Alabama Crimson Tide defense.
Of course, Etling’s erasure from the college football earth didn’t happen without context or foreshadowing.
Betsided
It isn’t like Fournette was the first LSU Tiger to have indentations of his prone form left in the turf by the Alabama Crimson Tide defense. “Simple” Zach Mettenberger practically became a lifetime GIF with his roadkill-like crawling away from the 87th Tide sack in the 2013 destruction.
And now it is Etling’s turn.
Thing is, Etling really brought this on himself. He could have easily stayed at Purdue and played out the rest of his mediocre career in Big 10 anonymity. But no, Etling decided that playing quarterback in the SEC West was the right thing to do. Compounding the poor decision was Brandon Harris – who either was so mediocre that he lost his starting spot to Etling less than six quarters into the season or that he saw the Alabama Crimson Tide defense on the horizon and made a prudent decision.
Either way, former LSU coach/grass-chewing hat Les Miles yanked Harris and inserted Elling in the second quarter against mighty Jacksonville State. And yes, Etling has eked out 200-yard passing games against powerhouse defenses (cough, cough) from Mississippi State, Missouri, Southern Miss and Ole Miss.
But those four defenses might not be able to put an all-star team together that equates to the might of the Alabama Crimson Tide defense.
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So please join us at BamaHammer.com as we remember LSU quarterback Danny Etling for all he was and what he could have been. Because once Nov. 5, 2016 comes and goes, the only way you see him from now on will be on Alabama Crimson Tide defense highlight films.