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College football is filled with historic figures, some of whom have become bigger than life as the years have passed. These are the kind of figures who would be carved in stone somewhere in South Dakota as a monument to all they accomplished.

With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports have decided to build Mount Rushmores for some of college football's most historic programs. Today, we look at the men who helped build LSU football.

Mount Rushmore is a perfect exercise for LSU football. As the most prominent program in a talent-rich and football-crazed state, the Tigers have rarely struggled for relevance. The peaks of the program's success haven't come as often as some of their SEC rivals but when LSU is on top, the individuals responsible are immortalized.

So now we look at the four figures who have shaped LSU into the program we know today, starting with the school's first Heisman Trophy winner, a player who lit up the night on Halloween.

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LSU's storied past has an awesome mountain of success. CBS Sports Graphic

Billy Cannon, halfback 1957-59: The Baton Rouge-raised Cannon holds a special place in the hearts of LSU fans. In the 1958 and 1959 seasons, Cannon was arguably the most impactful player in all of college football. He did it all during LSU's perfect 1958 national championship season, including throwing a touchdown pass and kicking the extra point in the 7-0 win against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. Cannon did most of his damage as a halfback but contributed all phases of the game and though he was the SEC Player of the Year that season, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

LSU started the next year as the No. 1 team in the country and though the Tigers fell short of defending their title, the 1959 season is notable for Cannon receiving Heisman Trophy and his Halloween Run against Ole Miss. Cannon broke seven tackles on an 89-yard punt return touchdown (yet another area of the game where he excelled) to give LSU a 7-3 lead late in the fourth quarter. Ole Miss was able to drive down into LSU territory on the following possession, but it was Cannon, of course, who stepped up to assist on the game-saving tackle.

Accolades: Heisman Trophy winner (1959), Walter Camp Trophy (1959), two-time All-American (1958-59), two-time SEC Player of the Year (1958-59), two-time All-SEC (1958-59), national champion (1958), College Football Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, No. 20 retired by LSU

Les Miles, coach 2005-present: An important part of the Mount Rushmore exercise is to factor in cultural impact. Les Miles has an incredible winning percentage at LSU (112-32) and nine top-20 finishes in his 11 seasons at the helm to go with a national title and two SEC championships. Nick Saban brought LSU back into the fold as a perennial SEC contender but it's been Miles who is most closely identified with the rabid, ultra-athletic program filled with future NFL stars that we know today. Miles' place on LSU's Mount Rushmore is boosted, not hurt, by the events of last November. The lack of top-10 finishes and SEC titles since 2011 had gotten under the skin of some around Baton Rouge, but when word was leaked that Miles' days were numbered, the response from Tiger fans was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping The Hat around a little longer.

Miles' ability to recruit at a high level, consistently in the top-10 of the 247Sports national rankings, and keep the NFL pipeline open has changed LSU from a regional brand to a national one. He's eaten grass, taught us a new way to clap and will continue to be the most quotable coach in football as long as LSU can take a step back from the edge and recognize how important their head coach is to the image of the program.

Accolades: National champion (2007), two SEC championships (2007, 2011), three SEC West titles (2005, 2007, 2011), Consensus Coach of the Year (2011)

Tommy Hodson, quarterback 1986-89: We've gotten used to seeing the Tigers win with a talent-packed defense, a good running game and great special teams execution. But it wasn't that long ago that LSU was winning SEC titles behind the league's best quarterback. Tommy Hodson was an All-SEC quarterback four years in a row and the first 9,000-yard passer in SEC history. Freshman were more common as starters in 1986, but the durability required for Hodson to not only start all but one game in his four year career, but also to be successful (31-13 as a starter) is still a feat we don't even see today.

The Tommy Hodson era featured three top-20 finishes, two SEC championships (1986, 1988) and finished with the Louisiana native as the school's career leader in multiple passing and offensive categories, including total offense and total touchdowns. Like Cannon, who played three decades earlier, Hodson has his own moment that will live forever in LSU lore. After all it was Hodson who threw the game-winning touchdown pass in the "Earthquake Game" against Auburn in 1988. Pat Dye's Auburn Tigers were ranked No. 4 in the country, Tiger Stadium was packed and ESPN was in town to broadcast the game. When Hodson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Fuller on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, the eruption from the crowd shook the earth to the point of registering on a seismograph nearby.

Accolades: Four-time All-SEC selection, two-time SEC champion, LSU career passing leader, LSU leader for career touchdowns, winning pass in the "Earthquake Game"

Kevin Faulk, running back 1995-98: Faulk's career with the New England Patriots is what comes to mind first for most, but an LSU fan would likely take you back to the 1995 Independence Bowl against Michigan State. Faulk, a freshman at the time, ran for 234 yards on 25 carries (9.5 yards per carry) on the way to bowl game MVP honors. He showcased the explosive running style that would become his trademark in Baton Rouge, and by the end of his college career, Faulk had become LSU's career leading rusher and career leader for rushing touchdowns (marks he still holds today).

Faulk was an all-purpose threat, earning All-American honors at that position as a sophomore in 1996 and breaking Hershel Walker's SEC record for all-purpose yards thanks to his work in the backfield and as a return specialist.

Accolades: three-time first team All-SEC (1996-98), First Team All-American (1996, an all-purpose player), Third-team All-American (1997-98), 1995 Independence Bowl Offensive MVP, three-time Super Bowl champion