Hitt gets 1-day family feud

• By GARY LANEY AND RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriters
• Published: Nov 11, 2009 - Page: 5C

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For LSU right guard Lyle Hitt, there is a little extra motivation this week for the Louisiana Tech game that should help him avoid a post-Alabama letdown.

That’s because he needs to avoid embarrassment at the family dinner table.

Hitt will sometimes be called on to block Mason Hitt, his younger brother who is one of Tech’s more significant contributors on the defensive line.

Mason Hitt, a junior who is two years younger than Lyle in age and a year behind in classification, has 30 tackles and two sacks as a part-time starter at defensive tackle.

The younger Hitt has started four games this year and 16 in his Tech career. He’s currently listed behind D’Anthony Smith at right tackle on the depth chart.

“He’s getting a lot of playing time,” said Lyle Hitt, who has started every game at guard this season.

“At one time, we were both starters, so I’m sure we’ll be head-to-head a lot.”

If things went a little different for Lyle, he might be playing the same position as his little brother instead of offense.

Both players were defensive linemen at Parkview Baptist.

Lyle redshirted as a defensive tackle in his true freshman year at LSU in 2005 then switched positions halfway through his redshirt freshman season in 2006 because of injuries on the offensive line.

Mason has been a defensive tackle his entire career. He started 12 games last season.

“He’s pretty good,” Lyle said. “I can’t let him win even one snap because he’s my brother. It’s just one of those older brother things. You have to keep him down.”

The brothers share more than a common position background. Lyle, a kinesiology major who hopes to go to medical school, is a three-time member of the SEC’s Academic Honor roll, and Mason is a former academic All-WAC player.