Former LSU Tigers Star Andrew Whitworth Now Eligible For Pro Football Hall of Fame

It was a great day for football fans on Saturday as the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was inducted, including Louisiana football legend Drew Brees, but that now puts the focus on the new group of players eligible for 2027.

Here is the full list of NFL players who can be inducted starting next year: Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Alex Mack, Gerald McCoy, Cam Newton, Adrian Peterson, Ben Roethlisberger, Richard Sherman, Eric Weddle and Andrew Whitworth.

The important name there is obviously Whitworth, a Monroe native, who played for the LSU Tigers and then went on to have an incredible NFL career.

Whitworth spent his entire NFL career as an ironman, but that started in college. He held the school record for most consecutive games played at 52, but that was eventually broken by Ciron Black. Both are two of the best streaks in the history of the sport.

Over his four years of competing (five overall counting his redshirt true freshman season), Whitworth took home a National Championship, was an All-Ameircan and was named to two All-SEC teams. He was one of the best tackles in the country.

That reputation led to him being drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He had a decade-long career there, and then went on to have a second life with the Los Angeles Rams for the final few years. Overall, he played in the NFL for a whopping 16 years. 

Whitworth does hold a piece of football history as he was the oldest offensive lineman to every start and win a Super Bowl at 40 years old with the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. He is in the top 100 for most games played.

Across his 16-season career, Whitworth was named to three All-Pro teams and made four Pro Bowls. He has also been recognized multiple times for his work off the field, including a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2021.

Whit it might not happen immediately, it would be a shock to not see Whitworth's name enshrined in Canton at some point in the future. He has certainly made his impact on the sport.

Here is the current list of former Tigers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Alan Faneca, Kevin Mawae, Johnny Robinson, Jim Taylor, Steve Van Buren and YA Tittle. Faneca was the most recent inductee in 2021.