ATLANTA – Steve Ensminger wiped tears from his eyes after first walking onto the field Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as LSU warmed up for a College Football Playoff semifinal against Oklahoma.
The assistant coach was still fighting his emotions when he quickly left the field after the top-ranked Tigers cruised to a Peach Bowl victory and earned a spot in the national championship game.
It was a flawless performance by LSU for those watching. What fans and the national TV audience didn’t see was how the team’s offensive coordinator managed to persevere through the unthinkable sorrow of losing his daughter-in-law earlier in the day in a deadly plane crash. Ensminger was able to compose himself and call the game of his life amid the personal tragedy.
LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady witnessed Ensminger’s struggles firsthand, sitting alongside him in their usual perch above the field in the coaches’ booth during the game.
“It definitely got emotional before the game,” said Brady, who is also the team’s wide receivers coach. “I can’t think of what he was able to do today with the circumstances.