In his two-year tenure at LSU, the
much-hyped prep quarterback phenom from East St. John has made more headlines –
many more headlines – for things he’s said and, more or less, kid-type
shenanigans than anything on the field, even the practice field.
Perrilloux was suspended from the
football team last week after being arrested for using a fake ID to enter a
Baton Rouge
casino.
Now I know there are laws for a
reason, but I ask you: is there anyone among us who hasn’t committed at least
the equivalent of that degree of “lawlessness’’ in your youth?
Maybe as a kid walked into a club
before legal age, or threw a firecracker on a neighbor’s lawn as a Trick or
Treat, or even as a youngster taken a sip of beer from an uncle’s
glass?
The point is, on the surface the
reaction to Perrilloux’s violation seems excessive. First of all, he’s 20 years
and six months old. A half-year from now he could walk into any gambling or
drinking establishment and nobody could stop him. And no one would have ever
heard about it.
The other times Perrilloux’s name
has popped up in headlines was for a noise violation (Whoa, now there’s a
crime!), and for the highly publicized counterfeiting ring investigation in his
hometown. The first, of course, was nothing more than kids’ stuff, and in the
second instance it eventually was leaked by the proper authorities that
Perrilloux had nothing to do with it.
So what his rap sheet shows is two
pretty minor misdemeanors.
Is that enough to warrant a
suspension?
Well, maybe.
There are always flags raised when
someone keeps skating dangerously close to police issues. They may be
inconsequential in themselves, but when they add up there’s always a suspicion
that there may be other, more serious transgressions that haven’t yet been
brought to light.
We may not know everything Les Miles knows about the Perrilloux situation, and it’s not in his nature to be
forthcoming on anything, much less background on the unsavory aspects of any of
his players.
On the caravan LSU coaches are
making around the region these days, Miles was asked in Pensacola by a fan about
Perrilloux, and all he would says is: “He’s in my doghouse right
now.’’
The answer makes you think: why
would the coach say that, and why the seemingly drastic action of a suspension,
about such an innocuous infraction as false ID? Is there more that doesn’t meet
the collective eye of the Tiger Nation?
There is a theory that Miles’
recent action of kicking off three players forced him to be sterner with
Perrilloux in the interest of avoiding the look of special treatment. But there
were differences: Troy Giddens, Zhamal Thomas and Kyle Anderson were charged
with felonies (burglary, theft identity and battery), accusations that are a far
cry from Perrilloux’s misdemeanors.
Something about all this is
reminiscent of the events of a decade ago. Tiger running back Cecil Collins (who
would become known afterward as “LSU’s Best There Never Was’’) was suspended
from the team. There was a puzzlement of why then-coach Gerry DiNardo wouldn’t
give him a second-chance.
It turned out that behind the
scenes Collins had already gotten a second – and third –
chance.
Later Collins was arrested for
entering a women’s apartment and fondling her. He was kicked off the team,
transferred to McNeese, where he was arrested for marijuana
use.
Drafted anyway by the Miami Dolphins, he again was arrested and charged with breaking into a women’s
dwelling and trying to touch her.
He received a 15-year
sentence.
There is nothing remotely close to
the situations, or the seriousness of their actions, of Collins and
Perrilloux.
On the surface, it appears
Perrilloux was dealt with harshly.
On the other hand, it’s hard not to
think there may be more to all this that we don’t know about.
---
Marty Mule’ can be reached at
MJM981@Bellsouth.net.