College Football Program Releases Statement After Three Teammates Die in Same Week

Some connections are so eternal that they leave their mark even if the people forging them leave the world. Louisiana Tech Football is mourning the loss of its three players who played together at the program and tragically left the world together this week. The program is now sending its condolences and giving a fitting tribute to the trio’s lasting legacy.

“We’d like to take a moment to remember the impact and lives of three former Bulldog teammates — Pat Collins, Jerry Arledge, and Don Tippit — who passed away this week,” La Tech Football wrote on their X account. “These three not only shared the field together, but they also embodied what it truly means to be a Bulldog.”

After graduating from Fair Park High School in 1959, Pat Collins joined Louisiana Tech in 1960 and earned his bachelor’s degree, playing till 1962. Thereafter, he went on to become the Bulldogs’ graduate assistant in 1963, ushering in his illustrious coaching career. After a brief stint with Airline High School as an assistant, Collins came back to Louisiana Tech as DC in 1967 under Maxier Lambright.

Collins stayed with the program till 1980 and oversaw the Bulldogs’ “Glory Years” under Lambright’s helm. The team also moved to a 23,000-seater Tech Stadium and won the Gulf States Conference title. In Collins’ time at Louisiana Tech’s DC under Maxier Lambright, the program accumulated an impressive 78-33-2 record, and they also finished with a perfect 12-0 record in 1972, becoming co-national champions.

In Collins’ time as a player at Louisiana Tech, Jerry Arledge also shared the field with him. He enrolled in the program in 1961 and stayed there till 1963. Arledge is best known for his head coaching tenure at West Monroe High School in Louisiana. He joined the high school in 1992 and stayed in the capacity till the 2022 season. Thereafter, he became the Athletic Director of the school. Arledge’s 103-22 record at the High School, along with eight state football championships, speaks glowingly of his lasting legacy now that he has left the world.

Football The three players’ legacies have become even more intertwined after their passing

Don Tippit enrolled at Louisiana Tech in 1958 and stayed in the program till the 1961 season. So, the 1961 season was the year when all three took the Louisiana Tech field and showcased their talent. In that year, the Bulldogs finished with a 5-4 record under head coach Joe Aillet’s 21st season. Don Tippit was one of the three captains of the team and oversaw some crucial wins for the program.

Tippit was also selected in the All-Gulf States Conference football teams, playing as a guard. He got three votes from the writers and coaches, each, and wrote his name in the Bulldogs’ history books forever. “Their leadership, service, and influence reached far beyond the playing surface, and their legacy will forever remain part of the Louisiana Tech University family,” Louisiana Tech wrote about its three illustrious players.

The legacies of the three former players are truly lasting. Pat Collins, owing to his coaching heroics in the state of Louisiana, earned the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and even returned every year to participate in the annual Walk of Fame. Jerry Arledhe’s role, in contrast, will be that of a loyal high school coach who dedicated half of his life to the school as it won its all-state championships under him. But most of all, the trio will be remembered for the remarkable time they had at Louisiana Tech and how they left the world together, forging their bonds eternally.