Todd Kinchen was one of LSU’s most dangerous offensive weapons during the early 1990s. The Baton Rouge native could stretch a defense as a receiver, change field position as a returner and turn a short completion into a touchdown.
Kinchen finished his LSU career with 112 receptions for 1,911 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. He also scored twice on punt returns and recorded eight games with at least 100 receiving yards.
A Baton Rouge star comes to LSU
Kinchen attended Trafton Academy in Baton Rouge, where he became one of the city’s most accomplished young athletes. He was named the Class AA Most Valuable Player in football and contributed to state championship teams in basketball and baseball. He also competed in track and tennis.
LSU football was already part of the Kinchen family. His father, Gus Kinchen, played for the Tigers from 1958 through 1960. His brother, Brian Kinchen, earned All SEC honors as an LSU tight end.
Todd Kinchen appeared ready to continue that tradition before a knee injury on the first day of fall practice cost him the entire 1988 season.
A productive return
Kinchen returned in 1989 and played in all 11 games. He caught 25 passes for 396 yards and two touchdowns while working behind more experienced receivers.
His best performance came against Ole Miss. Kinchen caught five passes for 108 yards in LSU’s 35 to 30 victory in Oxford. He also caught seven passes for 88 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee.
The breakout season
Kinchen became LSU’s most explosive receiver in 1990. He caught 34 passes for 660 yards and three touchdowns in eight games, averaging 19.4 yards per reception.
His finest performance came against Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium. Kinchen caught a short pass from Chad Loup, avoided several defenders and raced 79 yards for a touchdown. He finished with five receptions for 133 yards and added a 60 yard punt return that helped set up another LSU score.
Kinchen recorded four 100 yard receiving games that season. He produced 100 yards against Georgia, 145 against Miami of Ohio, 133 against Texas A&M and 103 against Kentucky.
A broken clavicle suffered against Ole Miss ended his season. Even with the shortened schedule, Kinchen received All SEC recognition from the Associated Press, the SEC coaches and Football News.
A senior season filled with records
Kinchen returned in 1991 and delivered the best season of his LSU career. He led the SEC with 53 receptions and finished with 855 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Against Mississippi State, Kinchen caught nine passes for 248 yards. At the time, his yardage total established an SEC single game receiving record. The performance earned him SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
He also recorded 188 receiving yards against Florida State and 101 against Alabama. Kinchen finished the season with three games of at least 100 receiving yards.
Kinchen remained a threat on special teams. He returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas State and followed it with a 74 yard touchdown return against Kentucky. He completed the season with 339 punt return yards and ranked third in the SEC with 110 all purpose yards per game.
The Associated Press and SEC coaches again selected Kinchen for their All SEC teams.
NFL career
The Los Angeles Rams selected Kinchen with the 60th overall pick in the third round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played seven NFL seasons and appeared in 83 regular season games.
Kinchen finished his professional career with 95 receptions for 1,358 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. He played for the Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.
Why Todd Kinchen is No. 78
Kinchen belongs among the Top 100 LSU Tigers because he combined elite receiving production with game changing return ability. He overcame a serious knee injury, earned All SEC honors in consecutive seasons and finished with 1,911 receiving yards during an era when LSU threw the ball far less often than modern offenses. His record setting performance against Mississippi State, unforgettable touchdown against Texas A&M and two punt return scores secured his place in LSU history.
Sources
LSU Athletics: Todd Kinchen player biography (lsusports.net)
LSU Athletics: Historical football statistics and box scores (lsusports.net)
Sports Reference: Todd Kinchen college statistics (sports-reference.com)
Pro Football Reference: Todd Kinchen NFL statistics (pro-football-reference.com)
