College football fans are truly one of a kind. Whether you're a homegrown Georgia Bulldog or a tattooed fanatic of the Alabama Crimson Tide, every fan base brings its own flavor and enthusiasm for their hometown team.
One of the most energetic and faithful fan bases in the country call Baton Rouge, Louisiana home, but it's LSU Tigers fans all over the country hollering "Geaux Tigers!" that truly define the purple and gold. No matter where LSU fans end up settling down, that Southern attitude is impossible to contain. Few people know that better than LSU super fan Cary Croft.
Born and raised in West Monroe, Louisiana early in life, Cary and his family now live in Chester, Virginia. But if you thought moving 1,000 miles north ended his allegiances to Louisiana State University, you just don't know Cary Croft.
"Virginia folks think I am crazy because of my love for LSU and the SEC, but they do not understand how it is in the south," Cary tells FanBuzz. "Sorry Virginia, this ain't the south!"
LSU Tigers Man Cave
Courtesy of Cary Croft
Cary began collecting LSU merchandise and memorabilia in the 1990s. However, when Cary and his wife purchased their home just south of Richmond, Virginia, that's when his collection really took off.
"I do not have anything expensive and don't want anything overly fancy or expensive," Cary says. "My man cave is for fun. Some may say it is tacky and that is what I want it to be."
Coming from someone who loves sports memorabilia, merchandise, and most importantly, classic beer signs, Cary's Tiger Cave is basically a paradise!
Courtesy of Cary Croft
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Among his intense purple and gold collection, there are two items in particular that he cherishes the most.
"First is the 1997 Sports Illustrated I have framed when LSU beat No. 1 Florida, and it has a picture of fellow West Monroe native, Tommy Banks diving for a touchdown," Cary tells FanBuzz. "The second one is a 150-year-old reclaimed cypress tree that was custom cut and painted with Mike the Tiger's eyes. My lovely wife purchased this for me in South Louisiana."
Courtesy of Cary Croft
As if you needed more proof that Louisiana is engrained in Cary's soul and his blood runs purple and gold, when asked who his favorite LSU player of all time was, Cary shouted out several former LSU Tigers who hailed from West Monroe just like he did.
"My favorite LSU player of all-time can be any player from West Monroe High School," he said. "But mainly they would be Heisman runner-up and former LSU head coach Jerry Stovall, [and also] Tommy Banks, Bradie James, Rodney Reed or Andrew Whitworth."
Courtesy of Cary Croft
Word to the wise: Never step foot into Cary Croft's Tiger Cave wearing anything other than LSU gear. You might not make it out without pledging yourself to the purple and gold for life...
Geaux Tigers!
This article was originally published May 8, 2019.
