Top 100 LSU Tigers of All Time: No. 85 Colt David

Colt David arrived at LSU as a walk-on and departed as the leading scorer in school history.

From 2005 through 2008, David scored 369 points while helping LSU win 42 games, two major bowl games, the 2007 Southeastern Conference championship and the 2007 national championship. He earned All-SEC recognition twice, delivered several important field goals and scored one of the most memorable touchdowns of the Les Miles era.

David’s LSU scoring record eventually fell, but his name remains near the top of almost every major kicking category in the school’s current record book. His production, championship contributions and lasting place in LSU history earn him the No. 85 position in the LSU Football Report ranking of the 100 greatest Tigers of all time.

A Texas Kicker Earns His Opportunity

Colt Justin David came to LSU from Grapevine High School in Grapevine, Texas.

David was a three-year football letterman who converted 27 of his 36 field goal attempts. His longest successful kick covered 50 yards. He also handled the punting duties, averaged 43.7 yards per punt as a senior and set a school record with an 81-yard punt.

His athletic background extended beyond football. David also played soccer, a sport that helped him develop the leg strength and coordination needed to become a college kicker.

David joined LSU as a walk-on in the fall of 2004. He redshirted that season before taking over the Tigers’ extra point duties and short-range field goal attempts in 2005.

Making an Immediate Difference

David made four of his five field goal attempts and 45 of 46 extra points during his first playing season. He scored 57 points for an LSU team that finished 11-2 and reached the SEC Championship Game.

One of his most important kicks came against Arkansas in LSU’s regular-season finale. David made a 26-yard field goal that provided the winning margin in the Tigers’ 19-17 victory. The win secured LSU’s place in the conference championship game.

David completed the season by making a 35-yard field goal in LSU’s 40-3 victory over Miami in the Peach Bowl.

His responsibilities increased in 2006. David handled all of LSU’s placekicks and finished with 74 points. He made eight of 13 field goal attempts and 50 of 51 extra points.

David delivered another pressure kick against Ole Miss. His 26-yard field goal in overtime gave LSU a 23-20 victory in Tiger Stadium.

He finished the season by scoring 10 points in LSU’s 41-14 Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame. David made field goals from 25 and 37 yards and converted all four of his extra-point attempts.

Those first two seasons established David as a dependable kicker. His performance in 2007 elevated him into LSU history.

A Record Setting Championship Season

David produced one of the greatest scoring seasons ever recorded by an LSU player during the Tigers’ 2007 national championship run.

He converted 26 of 33 field goal attempts and made all 63 of his extra points. David scored 147 total points, including 141 points through kicking and six points on a touchdown.

Both totals established LSU and SEC single-season records at the time.

David averaged 10.5 points per game, which ranked second in the SEC and sixth nationally. He made three field goals against Middle Tennessee, Kentucky and Auburn. He also finished the season by converting five consecutive field goals from at least 40 yards.

He made two field goals against Alabama, including a 49-yard kick, and added another 49-yarder against Arkansas. David then connected from 48 and 43 yards against Ole Miss.

His most famous play, however, did not involve kicking the football.

The Fake Field Goal That Became LSU History

LSU entered its Sept. 22, 2007, game against South Carolina ranked No. 2 in the country. The Gamecocks were ranked No. 12.

With LSU leading 14-7 late in the first half, the Tigers lined up for what appeared to be a 32-yard field goal. Quarterback and holder Matt Flynn called “Roxie,” signaling that LSU would run a fake.

Flynn received the snap and flipped the football over his shoulder. David caught it in stride and ran 15 yards untouched for a touchdown.

LSU went on to defeat South Carolina 28-16.

“I didn’t really even have time to get nervous,” David later told The Reveille.

It was the first touchdown David had scored at any level of football. He then kicked the extra point following his own touchdown.

According to LSU, David became the first Tiger since Doug Moreau against Tulane in 1965 to score a touchdown and kick the following extra point. ESPN selected the fake field goal as its Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the week.

The play became one of the defining moments of the Les Miles era, but David’s championship season was about much more than one successful trick play.

Finishing the Job Against Ohio State

LSU defeated Tennessee 21-14 in the SEC Championship Game and earned a place in the BCS National Championship Game against No. 1 Ohio State.

The Buckeyes took an early 10-0 lead in New Orleans. David began LSU’s comeback by making a 32-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

The Tigers then scored 21 unanswered points during the second quarter. David converted the extra point after each of LSU’s five touchdowns and finished the game with eight points.

LSU defeated Ohio State 38-24 to complete a 12-2 season and win the national championship.

David ended the year with 26 field goals, 63 extra points and one touchdown. He was named first-team All-SEC by both The Associated Press and the conference coaches.

Leaving LSU as Its Scoring Leader

David returned for his senior season in 2008 and served as one of LSU’s team captains.

He made 16 of 21 field goal attempts, converted 43 of 44 extra points and scored 91 points. David also demonstrated exceptional range by making four field goals of at least 50 yards.

He connected from 51 yards against Georgia, 52 yards against Troy, 52 yards against Ole Miss and a career-best 53 yards against Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The 51-yard field goal against Georgia pushed David past Kevin Faulk’s previous LSU career scoring record of 318 points.

David was selected to the coaches’ first-team All-SEC squad and the AP second team following the 2008 season.

He completed his LSU career with 369 points in 52 games. His scoring total consisted of 54 field goals, 201 extra points and one touchdown.

David made 54 of his 72 career field goal attempts, a success rate of 75 percent. He converted 201 of 204 extra points and made 18 field goals from at least 40 yards.

David’s Place in LSU’s Current Record Book

David held LSU’s career scoring record until Damian Ramos surpassed it during the 2025 season.

According to LSU’s 2026 football record book, Ramos ranks first with 409 career points. David remains second with 369, followed by Cade York with 326 and Kevin Faulk with 318.

David’s 363 career points from kicking also rank second behind Ramos. His 201 extra points are second in LSU history, only one behind Ramos’ school record of 202.

David is tied with York for third in career field goals made with 54. Ramos ranks first with 69, followed by David Browndyke with 61. David’s 72 career attempts rank fourth.

His 2007 season also remains prominently placed in the LSU record book:

His 147 total points rank second in a season.
His 141 points from kicking rank second.
His 26 made field goals rank third.
His 33 field goal attempts are tied for second.
His 63 extra points rank third.

David’s career-long 53-yard field goal against Georgia Tech is tied for the eighth-longest successful field goal in LSU history.

A Brief Professional Career

David was not selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, but he later received an opportunity with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

He appeared in three games for Montreal during the 2010 season. In his CFL debut against Calgary, David made all six of his field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder. The performance earned him the CFL Special Teams Player of the Week award.

David was part of a Montreal team that finished 12-6 and won the Grey Cup. The Alouettes defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-18 in the championship game. Damon Duval handled Montreal’s kicking duties in the Grey Cup.

Life After Football

David earned a degree in construction management from LSU.

His public professional profile lists him as working in surgical sales and as a spine specialist in the medical device industry in the Dallas area.

Football may no longer be his profession, but David remains connected to one of the most successful periods in LSU history. He was a dependable contributor for four seasons and a central figure on a team that brought another national championship to Baton Rouge.

Why Colt David Is No. 85

Colt David’s LSU career combined steady production, pressure kicking, championship success and one unforgettable touchdown.

He supplied the winning margin against Arkansas in 2005, kicked the overtime winner against Ole Miss in 2006 and scored eight points in the victory over Ohio State for the national championship. His fake field goal touchdown against South Carolina remains one of the most celebrated special teams plays in LSU history.

Most importantly, David produced at an elite level over four seasons. He left LSU with the school records for total points, points from kicking and extra points. Even after later kickers surpassed some of those marks, David remains second in career scoring and extra points while sharing third place in made field goals.

A walk-on became an All-SEC performer, a national champion and one of the most productive players ever to wear an LSU uniform.

That is why Colt David ranks No. 85 among the greatest LSU Tigers of all time.