SEC Football: Foolishness Abounds

In its bid to be the best at everything, SEC Football already has a lead on the rest of the country in arrests and other embarrassing actions. 

Just this past weekend, four SEC student-athletes have drawn negative attention to their schools—a trend that has become all too popular in college athletics.

Down in Baton Rouge, quarterback/head case Ryan Perriloux has been suspended.  Again. 

Even though this is Perriloux’s fourth suspension while at LSU, head coach Les Miles has given Perriloux the obligatory “indefinitely suspended for violating team rules” line and says the quarterback’s status for spring practice is “uncertain.”  Not surprisingly, the rule broken was unclear.

Perriloux’s act was already old even before the latest suspension.  You have to wonder if Les Miles’ free passes are actually hurting the kid rather than helping him.

Meanwhile in Knoxville, Phil Fulmer laid down the hammer on Dustin Colquitt, Tennessee’s punter.  After hitting a parked car and then fleeing at approximately 2 AM, Colquitt was arrested on charges of DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Fulmer’s response:  A five-game suspension, snatching away Colquitt’s scholarship, mandatory alcohol counseling, a public statement berating the 22-year old and his actions, as well as “other internal punishments."

You have to credit and respect Fulmer for dealing with the problem swiftly and severely.  Not only is Colquitt an extremely valued member of the team, he is also the fourth member of his family to punt for the Vols.

In Columbia, one of Steve Spurrier’s prized South Carolina receivers, Dion Lecorn, was arrested at an apartment complex and charged with marijuana possession.  

Stupidity clearly played a role in Lecorn’s arrest, as the volume of his music was so loud that a police officer came to the apartment to warn Lecorn and his friends to lower the volume.  It was then that the officer smelled marijuana, did further investigating and promptly arrested Lecorn.

And finally, Alabama's freshman defensive lineman, Jeremy Elder, was arrested Sunday on charges of first-degree robbery when a police report indicated that two Alabama students were robbed at gunpoint.  Elder currently remains in jail on bond.

In the meantime, Alabama coach Nick Saban has not ruled out kicking Elder off the team, but until Saban can gather all of the facts he has “indefinitely suspended [Elder] from all football-related activities.”

Unfortunately, we won’t have to hold our breath long before the boys in Gainesville make some headlines of their own...then Starkville, and Lexington, and Fayetteville, and Auburn.