In spite of injury-riddled season, K'Lavon Chaisson doing everything he can to help the team

If there's one thing sophomore outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson hates above everything else, it's not being dependable.

Chaisson has undergone a rough two years with the LSU program, not because of his performance, but rather the myriad of injuries he's sustained. It all started in the fourth quarter of the Tigers 33-17 win over Miami in 2018, a game that left Chaisson with a torn acl and cost him the entire 2018 season.

This season was supposed to be a year of redemption for the sophomore pass rusher, who came in with high expectations as a five-star recruit in 2017. Instead an injury in fall camp kept him in and out of practice until the season started against Georgia Southern.

After playing in two games and registering five tackles with a sack, Chaisson has now missed the Tigers last two games against Northwestern State and Vanderbilt with an ankle injury. With a bye week that followed, it's been nearly a month since he took the field in a game setting.

While Chaisson has been participating in individual drills for over a week, coach Ed Orgeron said he's still a bit 'gimpy' leaving his status for Saturday's game against Utah State up in the air.

But make no mistake, if you ask Chaisson, he's ready to play whether he's injured or not.

"I'm getting back there and obviously I still have some ways to go but I feel like I can play," Chaisson said.

Chaisson feels he could've played the last three weeks had the team required him to but due to the number of injuries in such a short time period, LSU has elected to go the safe and cautious route.

"It's very frustrating," Chaisson said of the injury. "I was telling a teammate this not too long ago but I always want to be somebody who you can depend on. I've never had an injury problem until last year's injury and now these two. Like I said I don't want to seem like I'm not dependable so every injury I get, I'm trying to play through it no matter if it's big or minor."

Chaisson said that because of his mindset, he's hell-bent on practicing even if the coaches and training staff rule against him playing on Saturday. In the meantime, he's taken it upon himself to set up meetings with other pass rushers and defensive linemen on the team to help them prepare for the Aggies.

"I've been having d-line meetings, pulling guys to the side and just coaching on what I can," Chaisson said. "It's just been something we're real focused on, trying to get the young guys together and at least get their football knowledge up."

These meetings, Chaisson said, occur as much as possible in the player's free time rather than after practice because the tendency is for the guys to be tired after a long, hot practice.

"I don't want you to feel like we're here just to buy time or if you end up falling asleep and it goes in one ear and out the other," Chaisson said. "I try to get them in time before they eat because I feel like after you eat you tend to get a little sleepy."

Among those in attendance are freshmen Jarell Cherry, Joe Evans and Nelson Jenkins as well as junior Justin Thomas. Even if it's just for 15 or 20 minutes, Chaisson said it's important to have those meetings to get the younger, inexperienced players up to speed.

"Especially for what's coming up this week, it's a big tendency game," Chaisson said. "So once you see the tendency of the offense, it's a whole new mindset, once you know what play is coming."

With Chaisson's stance clear on his availability, Orgeron is rightfully looking out for his player's best interest, saying Monday he doesn't know if Chaisson will be ready for Saturday.

"We're going to see where we can get with him this week," Orgeron said. "We definitely need him for the pass rush. And if he's healthy, we're going to play him. But I don't know if he's going to be ready."