Kevin Minter arrived at LSU as a highly regarded linebacker from Georgia, but his path to becoming one of the best defenders in college football required patience.

He redshirted. He learned behind Kelvin Sheppard. He became a starter on LSU’s 2011 SEC championship team.

Then he exploded.

In 2012, Minter produced one of the finest seasons ever by an LSU linebacker, recording 130 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and four sacks. He earned First Team All America recognition from Sports Illustrated, became a finalist for the Butkus Award and was voted LSU’s Most Valuable Player. 

Minter finished his LSU career with 206 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 38 games with 24 starts. He saved some of his biggest performances for the biggest stages, including 20 tackles at Florida, a dominant afternoon against eventual Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and an LSU bowl record 19 tackles against Clemson. 

That peak performance earns Kevin Minter the No. 89 spot among LSU Football Report’s Top 100 LSU Tigers of all time.

From Georgia to LSU

Minter grew up in Suwanee, Georgia, and became a four year high school starter.

He played defensive end during his first two seasons, producing 154 tackles over those two years, before moving to linebacker. As a junior, he recorded 137 tackles and six sacks. As a senior, Minter made 113 tackles in only 10 games before an injury kept him out of Peachtree Ridge’s run through the Class 5A playoffs. He earned First Team Class 5A All State honors as a senior. 

Recruiting services recognized him as one of the better linebackers in the 2009 class. Rivals and Scout rated him as a four star prospect, while the Sports Illustrated Takkle Top 200 gave him five star status. Scout ranked him as the nation’s No. 4 middle linebacker, and he was selected to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Super Southern 100. 

Minter graduated from high school early and enrolled at LSU in January 2009, giving him the opportunity to participate in spring practice before his freshman season.

He would spend the next four years becoming exactly the type of linebacker LSU expected.

Learning Behind Kelvin Sheppard

Minter redshirted in 2009.

That meant his first real opportunity came in 2010, when he served as the backup to Kelvin Sheppard in the middle of LSU’s defense.

Minter appeared in 11 games without a start and recorded 15 tackles. Six of those tackles came in LSU’s season opener against North Carolina. 

He was also becoming one of the strongest players on the roster.

During LSU’s spring conditioning testing in 2010, Minter led the entire team with a 545 pound squat. That was more than defensive lineman Drake Nevis, Patrick Peterson and LSU’s offensive linemen produced during the same testing period. 

The physical ability was obvious.

What Minter needed was experience.

Playing behind Sheppard gave him time to learn how to command the middle of an SEC defense.

When Sheppard left for the NFL, the job belonged to Minter.

Starting for an SEC Champion

Minter made his first career start against Oregon to begin the 2011 season.

He finished that year having played all 14 games with 11 starts. Minter recorded 61 tackles, including 40 solo stops, with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. 

His first career touchdown came at Ole Miss.

LSU forced a fumble in the end zone, and Minter recovered it for a score as the Tigers overwhelmed the Rebels 52 to 3.

The season itself was one of the greatest in LSU history.

LSU finished the regular season 12 and 0, defeated Georgia 42 to 10 for the SEC Championship and advanced to the BCS National Championship Game.

Minter recorded five tackles and the first sack of his LSU career against Alabama in the championship game. LSU lost 21 to 0, finishing the season 13 and 1. 

The ending was disappointing.

For Minter, something much bigger was about to begin.

The 2012 Breakout

Minter entered his junior season as LSU’s most experienced linebacker.

By the end of it, he was one of the best linebackers in America.

He started all 13 games and recorded 130 tackles, including 55 solo stops and 75 assists. He added 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, five pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, one interception and one forced fumble. 

The 130 tackles ranked third in the SEC and 14th nationally. LSU currently lists the total as the fourth highest single season mark in school history. His 15 tackles for loss led the Tigers and ranked fourth in the SEC. 

Minter recorded double digit tackles six times.

And two games in particular turned a great season into something memorable.

Twenty Tackles at Florida

LSU traveled to Gainesville on October 6, 2012, to face No. 10 Florida.

The Tigers lost 14 to 6.

Minter was extraordinary.

He recorded 20 tackles.

Seventeen were solo.

He added three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. 

The 20 tackles tied Rudy Harmon and Toby Caston for the second highest single game total in LSU history, one behind Al Richardson’s school record of 21 against South Carolina in 1982.

The 17 solo tackles established an LSU record, surpassing the previous mark of 15 shared by Ali Highsmith, Trev Faulk and Charles Smith. LSU also noted that no FBS player recorded more solo tackles in a game during the 2012 season. 

Minter earned SEC Co Defensive Player of the Week honors.

LSU lost the game.

Its middle linebacker played one of the greatest individual defensive games in school history.

Minter Against Johnny Manziel

Two weeks later, LSU traveled to College Station.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was already becoming one of college football’s biggest stories. By December, he would become the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

LSU made sure his afternoon against the Tigers looked nothing like most of his season.

Minter played all 94 Texas A&M offensive snaps.

He recorded 12 tackles, one sack, one interception, one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries. His third quarter interception stopped an A&M possession, while his first quarter sack pushed the Aggies out of field goal range. 

LSU intercepted Manziel three times.

The official game box score credits him with only 27 rushing yards on 17 attempts, and he threw no touchdown passes while scoring no rushing touchdowns. LSU won 24 to 19. 

It was the only game during Manziel’s 2012 Heisman season in which he failed to account for a touchdown.

Minter’s performance produced a pile of awards.

He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week, Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Chuck Bednarik Player of the Week. 

Against one of the most dangerous players in college football, Minter had been the best defender on the field.

An All America Linebacker

By December, Minter’s résumé placed him among the best linebackers in the country.

Sports Illustrated selected him First Team All America.

The Associated Press, Walter Camp and Scout selected him Second Team All America, while CBS Sports placed him on its third team. He was also a First Team All SEC selection by both the Associated Press and the conference coaches. 

Minter became one of five finalists for the Butkus Award.

His teammates also recognized what he had become.

They voted him a permanent team captain, and LSU presented him with the Charles McClendon Award as the Tigers’ Most Valuable Player. 

That is significant considering the players surrounding him.

The 2012 LSU defense featured Eric Reid, Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Bennie Logan, Jalen Mills, Tharold Simon and a young group of linebackers that included Lamin Barrow, Kwon Alexander and Deion Jones.

Minter was the man in the middle.

And LSU named him the MVP.

One Last Monster Game Against Clemson

Minter’s final LSU appearance came against Clemson in the Chick fil A Bowl on December 31, 2012.

Again, LSU lost a game in which Minter was spectacular.

He recorded 19 tackles, including 14 in the first half, with 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack.

The 19 tackles established an LSU bowl game record, and Minter was named the game’s Outstanding Defensive Player. LSU’s historical records also list the performance as tied for eighth in college football bowl history at the time. 

Clemson eventually won 25 to 24 on a field goal as time expired.

For Minter, it was an appropriate final performance.

His career high was 20 tackles.

His LSU career ended with 19.

Kevin Minter by the Numbers

Minter’s career showed exactly how dramatically a player can develop at LSU.

In 2010, he recorded 15 tackles as Sheppard’s backup.

In 2011, he became a starter and finished with 61 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.

In 2012, he erupted for 130 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and four sacks.

His final LSU career totals were:

206 tackles
18.5 tackles for loss
5 sacks
6 pass breakups
4 quarterback hurries
1 interception
2 forced fumbles
1 fumble recovery, returned for a touchdown

He appeared in 38 games and started 24. 

Minter also completed his degree before leaving LSU. LSU’s December 2012 graduation announcement lists him as receiving a degree in sport administration. 

Then he made the decision to enter the NFL Draft with one season of eligibility remaining.

His NFL Career

The Arizona Cardinals selected Minter in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft with the 45th overall pick. Arizona had traded down from No. 38 before selecting him. 

Minter spent his first four NFL seasons with Arizona. He became a full time starter in 2015 and started all 16 games in both 2015 and 2016.

He played for Cincinnati in 2017, then signed with the New York Jets during the 2018 offseason before being released at the end of training camp. Tampa Bay signed him during the 2018 season. 

Minter found a valuable role with the Buccaneers.

He became an important reserve linebacker and special teams player and was voted one of Tampa Bay’s special teams captains in both 2020 and 2021. 

Most importantly, Minter was part of the Tampa Bay team that won Super Bowl LV following the 2020 season.

His NFL career ultimately covered nine regular seasons. He appeared in 123 games with 52 starts and recorded seven sacks. His final NFL appearances came with Tampa Bay in 2021. 

Arizona’s current alumni profile describes Minter as having transitioned into coaching after his playing career. 

Why Kevin Minter Is No. 89

Kevin Minter’s place on this list is built around more than career totals.

It is about how good he became.

LSU has produced linebackers with longer college careers. Others became bigger NFL stars. Several collected more national honors over multiple seasons.

Few LSU linebackers have ever produced a season like Minter did in 2012.

He made 130 tackles.

He led LSU with 15 tackles for loss.

He became a Butkus Award finalist.

He earned First Team All SEC honors.

Sports Illustrated named him a First Team All American.

His teammates voted him captain.

LSU named him its Most Valuable Player.

He recorded a school record 17 solo tackles at Florida.

He played all 94 defensive snaps against Johnny Manziel and helped hold the future Heisman winner without a touchdown.

Then he finished his college career with an LSU bowl record 19 tackles.

Minter’s journey matters too.

He redshirted.

He waited behind Kelvin Sheppard.

He became a starter on an SEC championship team.

Then he became one of the best linebackers in the country.

For one season, Kevin Minter was the heartbeat of LSU’s defense.

That 2012 performance, combined with his role on the 2011 SEC championship team and a nine season NFL career that included a Super Bowl championship, earns him the No. 89 spot among the Top 100 LSU Tigers of all time.

Sources

LSU Athletics, Kevin Minter Biography and Career Statistics
https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/season/2012/player/kevin-minter

LSU Athletics, Kevin Minter 2011 Biography
https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/season/2011/player/kevin-minter

LSU Athletics, 2012 Final Defensive Statistics
https://static.lsusports.net/assets/docs/fb/12stats/teamcume.htm

LSU Athletics, Florida vs. LSU Official Statistics
https://static.lsusports.net/assets/docs/fb/12stats/ls06.htm

LSU Athletics, LSU vs. Texas A&M Official Statistics
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LSU Athletics, Minter Adds SEC Honor to National Accolades
https://lsusports.net/news/2012/10/22/205717665

LSU Athletics, Minter Earns Two More National Awards
https://lsusports.net/news/2012/10/23/205718594

LSU Athletics, Minter Named LSU MVP
https://lsusports.net/news/2012/12/17/205829860

LSU Athletics, Chick fil A Bowl vs. Clemson
https://lsusports.net/news/2012/12/31/205863767

LSU Athletics, First Team All Americans
https://lsusports.net/lsu-football-first-team-all-americans

LSU Athletics, December 2012 Graduates
https://lsusports.net/news/2012/12/14/205826760

NFL, 2013 NFL Draft
https://www.nfl.com/draft/tracker/2013/rounds/2

Arizona Cardinals, Kevin Minter Draft Selection
https://www.azcardinals.com/news/second-pick-goes-to-kevin-minter-10019425

Arizona Cardinals, Kevin Minter Alumni Profile
https://www.azcardinals.com/legends/roster/kevin-minter

New York Jets, Kevin Minter Signing
https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-sign-lb-kevin-minter-20525341

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kevin Minter Re Signs
https://www.buccaneers.com/news/kevin-minter-re-sign-tampa-bay-free-agency-2021

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2020 Team Captains
https://www.buccaneers.com/news/tom-brady-devin-white-mike-evans-bucs-2020-team-captains

Pro Football Reference, Kevin Minter
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MintKe00.htm