It’s the beginning of another year and another semester at the University, and as always, a few changes were made around LSU while the majority of students went home for the holidays.
We saw former LSU football coach Nick Saban agree to join LSU rival University of Alabama’s coaching staff. We saw quarterback JaMarcus Russell announce that he will be going pro shortly after trouncing Brady Quinn and the rest of the Fighting Irish in the first Sugar Bowl in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.
But lately the talk around Baton Rouge concerns a now-confirmed federal investigation involving another LSU quarterback, redshirt freshman Ryan Perrilloux. Nick Fisher, a Baton Rouge attorney, said he is representing Perrilloux in any legal matters that may arise. If he is arrested and booked, he will face federal charges that could affectively end his football career.
While it would be easy to jump to conclusions against Perrilloux, it is important to remember that he has not been convicted of any wrongdoing yet and is therefore still an innocent man. We should all wait to see what comes out of the whole affair before making any judgments based on widespread rumors.
During his time with the Tigers, Perrilloux has earned a reputation for speaking his mind and has even said things that are a bit arrogant for a quarterback who has not yet been tested at the collegiate level. Regardless, he deserves the same treatment in the court of public opinion that he would receive in a court of law. No decisions should be made until all the facts have been received.
What will aid in this process, however, is a mind-set the Athletic Department has loathed to affect in the past – one that is honest and up front about issues concerning players. We ask the department to use this situation as an opportunity to show the student body that it is willing to answer questions openly and without trying to waffle when the questions become difficult. It is understandable that the department would want to present any information they have in a light that is favorable to the University, but this approach is not in the best interest of the students whom it ought to serve.
Perrilloux will no doubt learn from this experience, but his education needn’t be done alone. As members of an educational institution, we should all be able to come out of this a little wiser.
—–Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]