Tinker:
I think that we should always realize that talent is talent, that the better talented person in a heated competition will be the difference to gaining the victory.
That talented people become bog down by bad management is true enough, and then management becomes everything to a football team winning. So in that regard the good head coaches are worth their weight in gold.
But never the less if you don't have a talented horse to run the horse race you will more then likely lose that race.
Talent is talent.
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http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/SEC Blog
Looking for balance in the SEC
April, 30, 2013
By
Chris Low | ESPN.comEverybody is looking for balance on offense. Well, just about everybody.
Who has been the most balanced offense in the SEC over the past three years?
Believe it or not, it’s been Florida, at least in terms of total passing yards versus total rushing yards.
The Gators have passed for 6,712 yards during the 2010-12 seasons and rushed for 6,464 yards during that same span. Of course, the truth is they haven’t been very good offensively in any of the past three years. They were 12th in the SEC in total offense last season and 10th in 2011 and 2010.
So in terms of true balance, the title the past three years has to go to Alabama.
No surprise there, huh?
The Crimson Tide are the only team in the league with more than 8,000 rushing yards and more than 8,000 passing yards over the past three seasons.
The biggest discrepancy between rushing and passing yards over the past three seasons belongs to Arkansas. The Hogs have passed for 11,865 yards and rushed for 5,145 yards, a difference of 6,720 yards.
The only team close to that is Tennessee. The Vols have passed for 10,007 yards and rushed for 4,425 yards, which is the lowest rushing total in the SEC over the past three years by more than 500 yards.
Auburn and LSU are the only two teams in the league with more rushing yards than passing yards over the last three years. Auburn has rushed for 8,138 yards and passed for 6.903 yards. LSU has rushed for 7,508 yards and passed for 6,765 yards..
Below is a team-by-team breakdown:
ALABAMA
2012: 3,185 rush, 3,052 pass
2011: 2,788 rush, 2,797 pass
2010: 2,378 rush, 3,395 pass
Total: 8,351 rush, 9,244 pass
ARKANSAS
2012: 1,424 rush, 3,618 pass
2011: 1,786 rush, 3,909 pass
2010: 1,935 rush, 4,338 pass
Total: 5,145 rush, 11,865 pass
AUBURN
2012: 1,781 rush, 1,879 pass
2011: 2,370 rush, 2,022 pass
2010: 3,987 rush, 3,002 pass
Total: 8,138 rush, 6,903 pass
FLORIDA
2012: 2,440 rush, 1,902 pass
2011: 1,859 rush, 2,414 pass
2010: 2,165 rush, 2,396 pass
Total: 6,464 rush, 6,712 pass
GEORGIA
2012: 2,556 rush, 3,991 pass
2011: 2,296 rush, 3,423 pass
2010: 1,854 rush, 3,151 pass
Total: 6,706 rush, 10,565 pass
KENTUCKY
2012: 1,665 rush, 2,115 pass
2011: 1,490 rush, 1,627 pass
2010: 2,061 rush, 3,501 pass
Total: 5,216 rush, 7,243 pass
LSU
2012: 2,258 rush, 2,607 pass
2011: 2,836 rush, 2,135 pass
2010: 2,414 rush, 2,023 pass
Total: 7,508 rush, 6,765 pass
MISS. STATE
2012: 1,874 rush, 3,091 pass
2011: 2,279 rush, 2,364 pass
2010: 2,793 rush, 2,424 pass
Total: 6,946 rush, 7,897 pass
MISSOURI
2012: 1,662 rush, 2,615 pass
2011: 3,172 rush, 3,010 pass
2010: 2,033 rush, 3,292 pass
Total: 6,867 rush, 8,917 pass
OLE MISS
2012: 2,260 rush, 3,249 pass
2011: 1,555 rush, 1,820 pass
2010: 2,491 rush, 2,307 pass
Total: 6,306 rush, 7,376 pass
SOUTH CAROLINA
2012: 1,800 rush, 3,095 pass
2011: 2,497 rush, 2,359 pass
2010: 2,161 rush, 3,338 pass
Total: 6,458 rush, 8,792 pass
TENNESSEE
2012: 1,924 rush, 3,787 pass
2011: 1,081 rush, 2,911 pass
2010: 1,420 rush, 3,309 pass
Total: 4,425 rush, 10,007 pass
TEXAS A&M
2012: 3,147 rush, 4,114 pass
2011: 2,589 rush, 3,784 pass
2010: 2,145 rush, 3,599 pass
Total: 7,881 rush, 11,497 pass
VANDERBILT
2012: 2,162 rush, 2,774 pass
2011: 2,138 rush, 2,270 pass
2010: 1,666 rush, 1,913 pass
Total: 5,966 rush, 6,957 pass
Quote:
"qb challenged" is putting the LSU offense very mildly over the past
Les Miles tenure. Because tossing the ball to the RB over and over
again, then sweeping the end as a variety. And then watching the LSU QB
holding onto the football trying to pass was what the Les Miles lead
LSU offense was all about.
Just any kind of a more diverse offense would have made a bigger difference for the LSU offense. I am so glad that the LSU coaching staff is now stacked with the help of Cam Cameron I simply don't know how to act anymore....http://www.youtube.
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AP
Former
LSU cornerback Tharold Simon was arrested last Thursday night as the
NFL Draft was just getting underway. Simon was arrested in his hometown
of Eunice, La. for public intimidation, resisting an officer and a noise
violation. Despite the arrest, he was drafted in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
According to Brett Martel of the Associated Press, police say Simon told the officer “I own Eunice” and peeled his tires moving a car from in front of his grandparents house. The officer also claims Simon told him he could get him fired because “the mayor is on my side” and violently jerked his arm away when the officer attempted to arrest him for intimidation.
Simon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, vehemently disputed the officer’s claims and said his client is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Simon addressed the events leading to his arrest shortly after getting drafted by the Seahawks on Saturday and, well, it’s best to just let Simon explain his side of the story.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been parked on the side of the road but I was just chilling in the house at my grandmother’s house and my car was parked on the side of the road by my grandmother’s house. I seen a car pull up and it looked like a cop car so I went out there and when I went out there he told me to move the car,” Simon said.
“I moved the car and when I turned the car on the music was up, so when I pulled up in the driveway he told me to give him my license. I gave him my license and then I just sat on the car while he was running my license through and he had called another cop to bring him a ticket book I guess so he could write me a ticket. One of my friends had come to congratulate me on the draft that was going on and he told my friend to move around.
“Then I had got off the car and was like ‘man, you’re tripping for nothing. There’s really nothing serious going on around here’ and he said my pants was low and he was like ‘pick your pants up before I take you to jail.’ So I picked my pants up and he said, ‘you know what, matter of fact put your hands behind your back’ so I put my hands behind my back and I had my girl’s car keys and I was trying to throw my girl’s car keys to my cousin so I kind of jerked my arm and he said I was resisting arrest.
“I never ran. I never flinched to move or nothing and he said I was resisting arrest. So he took me to jail or whatever and said I threatened his life or whatever. I told him I had 30 witnesses that know I didn’t do nothing wrong and that I didn’t say nothing wrong. I’m a humble guy. I’m embarrassed about what happened because it shouldn’t have happened. Like I said, everything happens for a reason. Right now my focus is just to get up to Seattle and go compete and play some football.”
A conversation with Simon’s attorneys eased Seattle’s concerns over drafting him.
“We were able to speak with his attorneys and be comfortable with his situation,” general manager John Schneider said.
It’s a pretty crazy story, maybe so crazy it’s actually true. Simon’s camp feels strongly he wasn’t in the wrong and that an overzealous police officer overstepped his authority. Simon said he initially feared the arrest could keep him from being drafted. Now Simon has a chance to prove the Seahawks didn’t make a mistake in being the team to end that concern.
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http://lsufootball.net/
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http://espn.go.com/video/clip?
Track Champions
http://www.arizonasports.com/?
http://www.footballoutsiders.
6 Apr 2013
Based on the comments sections the past few weeks, I'm glad to see the Football Outsiders readership enjoying this series. As I stated in the first installment, my aim here has been to try to put numbers on things the best I can, and thereby drum up an entertaining discussion. With franchise rankings and an objective take on the best and worst drafts out of the way, we can now turn to more granular draft splits based on value above expectation (VAE) and return on investment (ROI). Today, I'll stoke the fire that is alumni passion.
As a reminder, like FO's distinction between DYAR and DVOA, VAE is a measure of total value relative to baseline (in this case, the expected career value of a given pick), whereas ROI is a measure of percentage value (or value per pick, given expectations). Interestingly enough, within the same college, there's significant divergence between the two stats, possibly because of the NFL's almost-blind ambition regarding players from certain schools.
Before showing the stats table, let me first discuss a few colleges that didn't make the cut. Easily the most surprising based on its sheer number of picks is Nebraska. From 1970 to 2007, 181 Cornhuskers were selected among the first 222 in a given year. In the aggregate, those picks yielded -52.3 VAE and -13.6% ROI. Among the 70 schools with at least one draft pick per year, Nebraska's VAE ranks dead last, and their ROI ranks 64th. Despite having the fifth-highest expected Career AV per Year (384.5), only 38.1 percent of Cornhuskers were positive-VAE picks (average among this group was 40.7 percent). Basically, for every Roger Craig (+4.8 VAE, +181.4% ROI) and Ahman Green (+3.9, +185.3%), there are twice as many Bruce Pickens (-5.0, -84.2%) and Trev Alberts (-4.0, -75.0%).
Though not as much of a disaster as Nebraska, draft picks from USC haven't fared much better in the aggregate. From 1970 to 2007, Trojans were picked the most (200 in the top 222 from 1970 to 2007) and had the highest expected CarAV/Yr (491.6), but were essentially a wash in terms of relative value (+1.2 VAE, +0.2% ROI). Although it's true that USC had an above-average percentage of positive-VAE picks (43.5 percent), for every Anthony Muñoz (+4.3, +72.1%), there was a Matt Leinart (-3.2, -72.3%). For every Marcus Allen (+2.5, +55.9%) and Hoby Brenner (+1.2, +54.7%), there was one Ricky Bell (-3.5, -48.9%).
Nebraska and USC aren't even some kind of big-school anomaly. Among the top 10 colleges in terms of total selections, seven more didn't make the table with respect to top VAEs and ROIs. Here they are, in order of selections: Penn State (180 picks, -6.9 VAE, -1.7% ROI), Ohio State (177, -11.7%, -2.8%), Notre Dame (168, -11.8, -3.2%), Michigan (162, -2.4, -0.7%), Oklahoma (157, -33.2, -9.7%), Tennessee (153, -16.1, -4.7%), and Florida (144, +4.1, +1.2%).
Now you know some of the familiar schools that weren't among the best at producing draft value from 1970 to 2007. Luckily (for ease of presentation, at least), the top 21 colleges in terms of VAE also ranked in the top 21 of ROI. So, below is a table of the top 20-plus-one (min. 38 picks):
Miami is the only college among the top 10 in total picks to also be among the top 20 in VAE and ROI. It should come as no surprise that the most valuable Hurricanes come from the halcyon days of 1995-2001. Among picks that produced +3.0 VAE are Ed Reed (+5.2 VAE, +150.1% ROI), Frank Gore (+4.7, +204.4%), Reggie Wayne (+4.6, +143.4%), Ray Lewis (+4.6, +136.1%), Clinton Portis (+4.4, +173.9%), Warren Sapp (+4.4, +102.3%), Edgerrin James (+3.9, +88.3%), Vince Wilfork (+3.3, +91.2%), and Jon Beason (+3.0, +88.3%).
Lest we forget, however, those that came before them. Suprisingly,
the best pick from the University of Miami in terms of VAE was way back
in 1973, when the Minnesota Vikings selected Chuck Foreman 12th overall
(+5.6 VAE, +129.9% ROI). In his first five years, Foreman made five Pro
Bowls, was voted first-team All-Pro once, and averaged an absurd 13.8
Adjusted CarAV/Yr; he also spearheaded three Vikings Super Bowl
appearances.
In contrast to Miami's slew of household names, LSU boasts less-heralded picks that produced at least +3.0 VAE. I mentioned the impeccably named Tommy Casanova last week (+6.1 VAE, +189.3% ROI), but first on the Tigers' list is a running back who had one of the best three-year stretches of the salary cap era. Domanick Williams (nee Davis), selected 101st in 2003 by the Houston Texans, gained at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of his three seasons, good for 8.5 Adjusted CarAV/Yr. Another blast from the past is wide receiver Eric Martin (+6.3, +562.5%), who the New Orleans Saints took at No. 179 in 1985. To this day, and despite the team's pass offense exploits over the past two decades, Martin still holds the franchise record for receptions and receiving yards.
To further feed the narrative of Pennsylvania football, the Pittsburgh Panthers rank in the top six of both VAE and ROI, and have produced the highest percentage of positive-VAE picks (53.0 percent). In the top 222 picks of drafts between 1970 and 2007, they boast six Hall of Famers, with Darrelle Revis poised to make it seven if he successfully returns from his 2012 ACL tear. Among other Panthers that produced at least +3.0 VAE were Giants defensive tackle Keith Hamilton (+4.4 VAE, +242.9% ROI), Oilers cornerback J.C. Wilson (+3.3, +354.3%), and 49ers cornerback Carlton Williamson (+3.1, +133.5%). If you're wondering about Larry Fitzgerald, he's produced +0.5 VAE and +7.9% ROI thus far in his career.
The only other college with an aggregate VAE above +30.0 is Georgia. But unlike LSU, Miami, and Pittsburgh, the Bulldogs don't have a single Hall of Famer to show for their relative draft value -- at least not yet. I'll get into the topic more when I present the best and worst individual picks since the merger, but for now I'll simply point out that Jake Scott produced 10.2 Adjusted CarAV/Yr as the 159th pick in 1970 and Terrell Davis produced 9.9 Adjusted CarAV/Yr as the 196th pick in 1995. Davis has several more bites at the Hall of Fame apple, but Scott's omission is a total mystery to me after having run the stats for this series.
Finally, we come to the "Luke, I am your father!" moment, a point at which we must talk about the thing you least expected. Tiny Jackson State, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, boasts less than one-fifth as many students as my alma mater, the University of Florida. Yet Jackson State shows up in the top 21 while said alma mater does not. With a mere 39 picks, these Tigers have the fifth-highest percentage of positive-VAE picks (48.7 percent), which includes two Hall of Famers: Walter Payton (+4.0 VAE, +72.7% ROI) and Jackie Slater (+2.1, +107.5%).
Interestingly enough, neither Payton nor Slater are among Jackson State's best three draft selections in terms of VAE. Leon Gray (+4.9 VAE, +234.4% ROI), taken 78th overall by the New England Patriots in 1973, was an eight-year starter at left tackle for the Patriots and Oilers, made four Pro Bowls, and was voted first-team All-Pro three times. Rickey Young (+4.3, +354.9%) was San Diego's pick at No. 164 of the 1975 draft, started at either fullback or halfback during his first seven seasons for the Chargers and Vikings, and led the NFL in receptions in 1978.
And then there's Jimmy Smith. Chase Stuart has already made a convincing argument for why Smith is one of the best wide receivers in NFL history, so feel free to click that link. In terms of FO stats, the 36th pick of the 1992 draft had the following DYAR rankings from 1996 to 2001: 4th, 10th, 13th, 1st, 11th , and 7th. After that bit of information, along with his draft value stats (+4.1 VAE, +137.6% ROI), I can't say I disagree with Chase all that much.
I've detailed a mere one-quarter of the VAE/ROI table, so feel free to ask questions and offer opinions in the comments section. Next week, I'll be finishing off this series with a look at the best individual picks from 1970 to 2007. Here's a teaser: Tom Brady is not No. 1.
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DollaChoppa
North Carolina St. Fan
Undefeated vs UNC in everything
Member since May 2008
67808 posts
1. LSU
2. Pittsburgh
3. Miami
4. Georgia
5. Virginia
6. UCLA
7. Purdue
8. Louisville
9. Georgia Tech
10. Texas A&M
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http://www.dandydon.com/
In LSU baseball news, the Tigers defeated the McNeese Cowboys last night, 7-3, to improve to 40-6 overall and 16-4 in the SEC. With the win, the Tigers extended their winning streak against in-state opponents to 26 games. The Tigers have also won 33 straight mid-week games, dating back to April 12, 2011, when LSU lost to Northwestern State.
Last night’s game was just what the doctor ordered for a team needing to bounce back and gain confidence after last weekend's series loss to South Carolina before taking on the Florida Gators in a three-game series starting Thursday. The three games will be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday (as will all the remaining regular season SEC series). Yesterday I mistakenly listed Game 3 as being on Sunday, and I regret the error.
Coach Mainieri decided to start freshman right-hander Hunter Newman who picked up the first victory of his collegiate career. Newman (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings and allowed two hits while striking out one. LSU got production from six bullpen pitchers, including freshman Will LaMarche who struck out three of the seven batters he faced in two innings. Nate Fury pitched a perfect sixth and was followed by Mitch Sewald, Nick Rumbelow, Taylor Butler and Kevin Berry.
The Tigers swung the bat well and were led at the plate by Jacoby Jones and Christian Ibarra who each ended with three of LSU's 15 hits. Jones’ transformation at the plate lately has been pretty doggone good. He went from hitting .188 at the end of March to .275 today, after going 23-for-53 (.433) in the month of April.
Here's a quick scoring summary: The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Mark Laird hit a one-out single up the middle, stole second and scored on Mason Katz’s RBI single. (The RBI was Katz’s first since April 10th). Ibarra added to LSU’s lead in the bottom of the second with a solo homer, his fifth home run of the season. The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the fifth on a leadoff double by Laird, a single by Katz and a sac fly by Raph Rhymes. The Tigers broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth on singles from Ibarra, Ty Ross, Jones and pinch hitter Tyler Moore. With the bases loaded and nobody out, designated hitter Sean McMullen walked in the fifth run, and then Laird was forced into a fielder’s choice, scoring Jones from third. With men on the corner and one out, Alex Bregman knocked an opposite field single to score pinch runner Andrew Stevenson and the fourth run of the inning. McNeese took advantage of a pair of LSU errors to score two unearned runs in the top of the seventh and added another in the 9th, making the final score 7-3.
The Tigers return to action at the Box tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. for Game 1 of the Florida series, and it will be televised by ESPNU. Friday's game at 6:30 p.m. will be televised by CST/CSS and Saturday's series finale will be televised by ESPN2.
Changing gears.... it's been a while since I've written about football recruiting, so today I'll pass along a bit of what I've been hearing.
Earlier this week I heard from a source at Holy Cross High School who told me about a defensive back that is starting to get a lot of attention. His name is Travis Crawford (S/CB, 5'11", 190) and he's now number 33 on my list of Top LA Football Prospects for 2014. According to my source, Crawford is one of the most talented athletes to ever come through Holy Cross. He describes him as “a strong, hard hitting free safety that flies around the field,’ You can judge for yourself by checking out Crawford’s highlight video. Several schools are starting to show interest, including Oklahoma St, UCLA, Arkansas, Arkansas St (offer), LA Tech, Air Force, and LSU. I was told that Frank Wilson visited Holy Cross recently and spent a lot of time watching film of Crawford and 2015 wide receiver prospect Michael Chigbu (6'2", 210). Chigbu should get lots of action this season, as he will take over for LSU signee Kevin Spears on the outside.
Another prospect who has really seen his stock rise recently is running back Darrell Williams of John Ehret. Williams (6'1", 213, No. 13 on my list of Top LA Prospects for 2014) had a great showing at a recent combine in Atlanta and caught the attention of scouts everywhere. According to my source, Williams has offers from Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, USC and others, and has been receiving a lot of interest from Texas and Alabama. From what I understand, LSU is hoping to check him out at the summer camp before extending an offer.
I also heard from by best source on Trey Quinn news, and was told that Quinn was very impressed with LSU’s spring game, and with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. I remain very hopeful and confident that Quinn (WR, 6'1", 200, Barbe, No. 2 on my list of Top LA Prospects for 2014) will be a Tiger when it's all said and done. Quinn comes from a great family and is a smart young man. Yesterday his long list of offers grew by one as Vanderbilt extended an offer.
In softball news, congratulations are in order for LSU senior pitcher Rachele Fico who was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Fico is the sixth LSU player to earn this prestigious national award. The others are Rachel Mitchell (March 24, 2009), Trena Peel (March 27, 2002), Britni Sneed (April 24, 2002), Kristin Schmidt (March 3, 2004) and Emily Turner (May 2, 2007). Oh, and last night’s softball game against Northwestern State was canceled due to weather and will not be made up.
A little personal tid-bit in closing: Last night I made use of the catfish I caught during my weekend camping trip and tweeted a picture of the dish with the text, “Cooking a catfish courtbuillon while listening to #LSU baseball.” The message was retweeted by a few followers, including Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples who asked for the recipe. I will be posting the recipe tomorrow for your enjoyment.
Reader comment: Scott, check out what ESPN is saying about all the talent at "U-High.”
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Just any kind of a more diverse offense would have made a bigger difference for the LSU offense. I am so glad that the LSU coaching staff is now stacked with the help of Cam Cameron I simply don't know how to act anymore....http://www.youtube.
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LSU has been so qb challenged over the years. Florida is the other one that stands out for similar reasons.
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http://www.lsureveille.com/
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dlewatcher  LSU Fan Houston Member since Jan 2012 2644 posts |
Russell Shepard signed with the Eagles before the NFL draft ended (Posted on 5/1/13 at 8:57 a.m.)
Russell Shepard signed with the Eagles before the NFL draft ended LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard recently signed a free agent contract, as many players do at the conclusion of the NFL draft. Shepard, however, didn't wait for the draft's seven rounds to conclude before signing his deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a report Tuesday from James Haralson of LouisianaDaily.com. See the rest here |
http://www.lsureveille.com/
The Daily
Reveille
Hill was charged with one count of simple battery in connection with the tussle that took place outside of Reggie’s Bar at 1100 Bob Pettit Blvd., while another suspect remains at large.
Baton Rouge police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:13 a.m., according to the report, where Officer Clifford Crouch was able to locate the victim.
According to the report, the victim told Crouch he was struck in the head “two or three times” and told the officer he only remembers waking up on the ground after absorbing the second blow – but he did provide officers with a license plate number of the suspect.
“I observed [the victim’s] hands to have minor cuts, his clothes to be in disarray, a sway while he stood and a lump on the back of his head,” Crouch wrote in the report.
After initially refusing medical attention, the victim told Crouch he would get a ride and go to the hospital.
Crouch wrote that several witnesses came forward with videos of the altercation as officers arrived at the scene.
In one video, the victim gets up off the ground and is seen walking away from Hill and his accomplice, according to the report.
Then, as the report indicates, the duo approached the victim from behind and Hill landed a punch behind the victim’s left ear. The unknown suspect followed with another punch, at which point the victim fell to the ground.
“You can then see Hill and the unknown suspect giving each other high fives and flaunting in front of [the victim],” the report states. “You then hear the video operator state ‘Jeremy Hill punching people.’”
Crouch contacted LSUPD for assistance in locating Hill and was led to West Campus Apartments, where Hill lives but was nowhere to be found.
At approximately 3:50 a.m., LSUPD detained Hill in the WCA parking lot. Crouch then arrived to handcuff Hill and transport him to the 2nd District Precinct.
Hill acknowledged being in Tigerland at the time of the incident but denied being involved in a “fistic altercation.”
“I advised Hill I had a video that showed him striking [the victim],” Crouch wrote. “Hill states he never hit [the victim]. I showed the video to Hill, and he still denied striking [the victim].”
Hill was suspended indefinitely from the Tiger football team on Monday and coach Les Miles said in a news release he would not comment further until the matter had run its legal course.
A Redemptorist High product, Hill rushed for 755 yards to lead LSU last season as a true freshman.
No stranger to run-ins with the law, Hill was arrested in 2011 on charges of oral sexual battery that involved a 14-year-old girl at Redemptorist. He pleaded guilty to carnal knowledge of a juvenile, a reduced misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation for two years.
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http://profootballtalk.
Crime Videos show Jeremy Hill ‘flaunted’ after fight
Other suspect still on the loose
Posted on
April 30, 2013
LSU sophomore running back Jeremy Hill and an accomplice were
recorded “giving each other high fives and flaunting” after allegedly
attacking a 20-year-old fight victim Saturday morning, according to the
police report obtained by The Daily Reveille on Tuesday.
Hill was charged with one count of simple battery in connection with the tussle that took place outside of Reggie’s Bar at 1100 Bob Pettit Blvd., while another suspect remains at large.
Baton Rouge police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:13 a.m., according to the report, where Officer Clifford Crouch was able to locate the victim.
According to the report, the victim told Crouch he was struck in the head “two or three times” and told the officer he only remembers waking up on the ground after absorbing the second blow – but he did provide officers with a license plate number of the suspect.
“I observed [the victim’s] hands to have minor cuts, his clothes to be in disarray, a sway while he stood and a lump on the back of his head,” Crouch wrote in the report.
After initially refusing medical attention, the victim told Crouch he would get a ride and go to the hospital.
Crouch wrote that several witnesses came forward with videos of the altercation as officers arrived at the scene.
In one video, the victim gets up off the ground and is seen walking away from Hill and his accomplice, according to the report.
Then, as the report indicates, the duo approached the victim from behind and Hill landed a punch behind the victim’s left ear. The unknown suspect followed with another punch, at which point the victim fell to the ground.
“You can then see Hill and the unknown suspect giving each other high fives and flaunting in front of [the victim],” the report states. “You then hear the video operator state ‘Jeremy Hill punching people.’”
Crouch contacted LSUPD for assistance in locating Hill and was led to West Campus Apartments, where Hill lives but was nowhere to be found.
At approximately 3:50 a.m., LSUPD detained Hill in the WCA parking lot. Crouch then arrived to handcuff Hill and transport him to the 2nd District Precinct.
Hill acknowledged being in Tigerland at the time of the incident but denied being involved in a “fistic altercation.”
“I advised Hill I had a video that showed him striking [the victim],” Crouch wrote. “Hill states he never hit [the victim]. I showed the video to Hill, and he still denied striking [the victim].”
Hill was suspended indefinitely from the Tiger football team on Monday and coach Les Miles said in a news release he would not comment further until the matter had run its legal course.
A Redemptorist High product, Hill rushed for 755 yards to lead LSU last season as a true freshman.
No stranger to run-ins with the law, Hill was arrested in 2011 on charges of oral sexual battery that involved a 14-year-old girl at Redemptorist. He pleaded guilty to carnal knowledge of a juvenile, a reduced misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation for two years.
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http://profootballtalk.
NBCsports
Tharold Simon explains his version of events leading to arrest
Posted by Curtis Crabtree on May 1, 2013, 1:48 AM EDT
AP
Former
LSU cornerback Tharold Simon was arrested last Thursday night as the
NFL Draft was just getting underway. Simon was arrested in his hometown
of Eunice, La. for public intimidation, resisting an officer and a noise
violation. Despite the arrest, he was drafted in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.According to Brett Martel of the Associated Press, police say Simon told the officer “I own Eunice” and peeled his tires moving a car from in front of his grandparents house. The officer also claims Simon told him he could get him fired because “the mayor is on my side” and violently jerked his arm away when the officer attempted to arrest him for intimidation.
Simon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, vehemently disputed the officer’s claims and said his client is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Simon addressed the events leading to his arrest shortly after getting drafted by the Seahawks on Saturday and, well, it’s best to just let Simon explain his side of the story.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been parked on the side of the road but I was just chilling in the house at my grandmother’s house and my car was parked on the side of the road by my grandmother’s house. I seen a car pull up and it looked like a cop car so I went out there and when I went out there he told me to move the car,” Simon said.
“I moved the car and when I turned the car on the music was up, so when I pulled up in the driveway he told me to give him my license. I gave him my license and then I just sat on the car while he was running my license through and he had called another cop to bring him a ticket book I guess so he could write me a ticket. One of my friends had come to congratulate me on the draft that was going on and he told my friend to move around.
“Then I had got off the car and was like ‘man, you’re tripping for nothing. There’s really nothing serious going on around here’ and he said my pants was low and he was like ‘pick your pants up before I take you to jail.’ So I picked my pants up and he said, ‘you know what, matter of fact put your hands behind your back’ so I put my hands behind my back and I had my girl’s car keys and I was trying to throw my girl’s car keys to my cousin so I kind of jerked my arm and he said I was resisting arrest.
“I never ran. I never flinched to move or nothing and he said I was resisting arrest. So he took me to jail or whatever and said I threatened his life or whatever. I told him I had 30 witnesses that know I didn’t do nothing wrong and that I didn’t say nothing wrong. I’m a humble guy. I’m embarrassed about what happened because it shouldn’t have happened. Like I said, everything happens for a reason. Right now my focus is just to get up to Seattle and go compete and play some football.”
A conversation with Simon’s attorneys eased Seattle’s concerns over drafting him.
“We were able to speak with his attorneys and be comfortable with his situation,” general manager John Schneider said.
It’s a pretty crazy story, maybe so crazy it’s actually true. Simon’s camp feels strongly he wasn’t in the wrong and that an overzealous police officer overstepped his authority. Simon said he initially feared the arrest could keep him from being drafted. Now Simon has a chance to prove the Seahawks didn’t make a mistake in being the team to end that concern.
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http://lsufootball.net/
LSU Football - Geaux Tigers!!!
| KTAR 92.3, AZ | .mp3 Audio (17 min): Les Miles talks about Tyrann Mathieu and Kevin Minter |
| The Advocate | Judge rules against Reveille in public records suit |
| Chattanooga Times | SEC spring football, team by team |
| Chattanooga Times | Controlling Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel priority for SEC coaches |
| College Football News | Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini |
| College Football News | Preview: Utah State Aggies |
| The Advocate | Mark Emmert urging campus leaders to be more inclusive |
| USA Today | NCAA objections may delay O'Bannon class action hearing |
| Birmingham News | Ex-O'Bannon attorney: NCAA is playing longterm game toward appellate courts |
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?
Video
Track Champions
Publish Date: Mar 12, 2013, 11:54 AM ETDuration: 00:53
Rating:
(3 Votes)
Lolo Jones recaps some of the high points of the NCAA Track and Field Championsip.
----------------------- http://www.arizonasports.com/?
Arizona Cardinals
LSU coach Miles says he 'would bet on' Tyrann Mathieu
listen
Listen: Les Miles, LSU Head Football Coach
Doug and Wolf talk to Miles about the Cardinals drafting his former player, Tyrann Mathieu.
Les Miles, who is the head football coach at Louisiana State University, cared about Tyrann Mathieu.
Yet, before the 2012 season could kickoff, he dismissed him from the team.
As Miles told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Tuesday, nothing Mathieu did negatively impacted the team on the field, in the locker room, or socially. However, at some point the decision to dismiss Mathieu from the team had to be made, as the player's issues with drugs became too much.
"He was the one who took most of the negativity and the detriment," he said. "The loss was to the team and the loss was certainly felt.
"Not something that we wanted to sustain and certainly not something that the team needed."
But, Miles added, "This guy is a special person and I've got to root for him."
Miles and Arizona Cardinals fans both, now that the team chose him in the third round of the NFL Draft last week.
"He will be a tremendous contributor," Miles said.
Mathieu, who did not play for anybody in 2012, was a consensus All-American, First-Team All-SEC, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011.
"He's a guy who really was meant to play football," Miles said. "He's a guy that really just loves it and looks for those opportunities to make Tyrann Mathieu-style of plays.
"Now, the key to Ty is just to make sure he keeps his focus on those things that are important to him," the coach said. "As long as he doesn't allow a social life to draw him into things, he'll be a tremendous player for Arizona for years."
And therein lies the rub with regards to Mathieu. He's as talented as any player in the draft, and can be a real weapon for the Cardinals on the field. That would have been true while the player was at LSU, yet Mathieu's off the field issues could not be overcome while he was in college.
So the hope -- really, the expectation -- is that Mathieu's past is just that, and he's ready to get a once-promising career back on track now that he's in the NFL.
The player's problem, his former coach said, is that he's "a pleaser."
"He's one of those guys that when somebody asks him to come, he feels obligated," he said. "But is he malicious? Absolutely not.
"You will find that he will adhere to team policy and team rules; he was always a tremendous contributor to our team."
In two college seasons, Mathieu tallied 133 total tackles, four interceptions and six fumble recoveries. He averaged 17.2 yards per return on 25 punts, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
But again, the 5-foot-9, 186-pound player who the Cardinals plan to play at safety has had few troubles when standing between the white lines.
"His issue was off the field, and his issue was the same way that he wants to please his teammates and make plays and compete, and compete with great heart and a lion's mentality," Miles said. "In the same way, if he goes to the social life, he wants to help those guys and be with friends and really has a difficult time discerning the difference."
The Cardinals, though, are betting that they can help Mathieu with just that. Mathieu will turn 21 on May 13, meaning though he's had some troubles, his entire life is still ahead of him. And, as of right now, it could include a great career in football.
"I think he realizes this is a great opportunity, Arizona and Coach Arians have taken and made for him," the coach said. "Now it's time for him to realize his dream and play for years."
And for what it's worth, Miles is confident Mathieu will do exactly that.
"I think there's a need to surround him with the right structure and the right style of guys, but I would bet on him," he said. "I've seen his want and I see who he is being more important than whatever issues could be on the perimeter."
-----------------------Yet, before the 2012 season could kickoff, he dismissed him from the team.
As Miles told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Tuesday, nothing Mathieu did negatively impacted the team on the field, in the locker room, or socially. However, at some point the decision to dismiss Mathieu from the team had to be made, as the player's issues with drugs became too much.
"He was the one who took most of the negativity and the detriment," he said. "The loss was to the team and the loss was certainly felt.
"Not something that we wanted to sustain and certainly not something that the team needed."
But, Miles added, "This guy is a special person and I've got to root for him."
Miles and Arizona Cardinals fans both, now that the team chose him in the third round of the NFL Draft last week.
"He will be a tremendous contributor," Miles said.
Mathieu, who did not play for anybody in 2012, was a consensus All-American, First-Team All-SEC, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011.
"He's a guy who really was meant to play football," Miles said. "He's a guy that really just loves it and looks for those opportunities to make Tyrann Mathieu-style of plays.
"Now, the key to Ty is just to make sure he keeps his focus on those things that are important to him," the coach said. "As long as he doesn't allow a social life to draw him into things, he'll be a tremendous player for Arizona for years."
And therein lies the rub with regards to Mathieu. He's as talented as any player in the draft, and can be a real weapon for the Cardinals on the field. That would have been true while the player was at LSU, yet Mathieu's off the field issues could not be overcome while he was in college.
So the hope -- really, the expectation -- is that Mathieu's past is just that, and he's ready to get a once-promising career back on track now that he's in the NFL.
The player's problem, his former coach said, is that he's "a pleaser."
"He's one of those guys that when somebody asks him to come, he feels obligated," he said. "But is he malicious? Absolutely not.
"You will find that he will adhere to team policy and team rules; he was always a tremendous contributor to our team."
In two college seasons, Mathieu tallied 133 total tackles, four interceptions and six fumble recoveries. He averaged 17.2 yards per return on 25 punts, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
But again, the 5-foot-9, 186-pound player who the Cardinals plan to play at safety has had few troubles when standing between the white lines.
"His issue was off the field, and his issue was the same way that he wants to please his teammates and make plays and compete, and compete with great heart and a lion's mentality," Miles said. "In the same way, if he goes to the social life, he wants to help those guys and be with friends and really has a difficult time discerning the difference."
The Cardinals, though, are betting that they can help Mathieu with just that. Mathieu will turn 21 on May 13, meaning though he's had some troubles, his entire life is still ahead of him. And, as of right now, it could include a great career in football.
"I think he realizes this is a great opportunity, Arizona and Coach Arians have taken and made for him," the coach said. "Now it's time for him to realize his dream and play for years."
And for what it's worth, Miles is confident Mathieu will do exactly that.
"I think there's a need to surround him with the right structure and the right style of guys, but I would bet on him," he said. "I've seen his want and I see who he is being more important than whatever issues could be on the perimeter."
http://www.footballoutsiders.
Football Outsiders
Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis6 Apr 2013
Historical Draft Efficiency: College Rankings
by Danny TuccittoBased on the comments sections the past few weeks, I'm glad to see the Football Outsiders readership enjoying this series. As I stated in the first installment, my aim here has been to try to put numbers on things the best I can, and thereby drum up an entertaining discussion. With franchise rankings and an objective take on the best and worst drafts out of the way, we can now turn to more granular draft splits based on value above expectation (VAE) and return on investment (ROI). Today, I'll stoke the fire that is alumni passion.
As a reminder, like FO's distinction between DYAR and DVOA, VAE is a measure of total value relative to baseline (in this case, the expected career value of a given pick), whereas ROI is a measure of percentage value (or value per pick, given expectations). Interestingly enough, within the same college, there's significant divergence between the two stats, possibly because of the NFL's almost-blind ambition regarding players from certain schools.
Before showing the stats table, let me first discuss a few colleges that didn't make the cut. Easily the most surprising based on its sheer number of picks is Nebraska. From 1970 to 2007, 181 Cornhuskers were selected among the first 222 in a given year. In the aggregate, those picks yielded -52.3 VAE and -13.6% ROI. Among the 70 schools with at least one draft pick per year, Nebraska's VAE ranks dead last, and their ROI ranks 64th. Despite having the fifth-highest expected Career AV per Year (384.5), only 38.1 percent of Cornhuskers were positive-VAE picks (average among this group was 40.7 percent). Basically, for every Roger Craig (+4.8 VAE, +181.4% ROI) and Ahman Green (+3.9, +185.3%), there are twice as many Bruce Pickens (-5.0, -84.2%) and Trev Alberts (-4.0, -75.0%).
Though not as much of a disaster as Nebraska, draft picks from USC haven't fared much better in the aggregate. From 1970 to 2007, Trojans were picked the most (200 in the top 222 from 1970 to 2007) and had the highest expected CarAV/Yr (491.6), but were essentially a wash in terms of relative value (+1.2 VAE, +0.2% ROI). Although it's true that USC had an above-average percentage of positive-VAE picks (43.5 percent), for every Anthony Muñoz (+4.3, +72.1%), there was a Matt Leinart (-3.2, -72.3%). For every Marcus Allen (+2.5, +55.9%) and Hoby Brenner (+1.2, +54.7%), there was one Ricky Bell (-3.5, -48.9%).
Nebraska and USC aren't even some kind of big-school anomaly. Among the top 10 colleges in terms of total selections, seven more didn't make the table with respect to top VAEs and ROIs. Here they are, in order of selections: Penn State (180 picks, -6.9 VAE, -1.7% ROI), Ohio State (177, -11.7%, -2.8%), Notre Dame (168, -11.8, -3.2%), Michigan (162, -2.4, -0.7%), Oklahoma (157, -33.2, -9.7%), Tennessee (153, -16.1, -4.7%), and Florida (144, +4.1, +1.2%).
Now you know some of the familiar schools that weren't among the best at producing draft value from 1970 to 2007. Luckily (for ease of presentation, at least), the top 21 colleges in terms of VAE also ranked in the top 21 of ROI. So, below is a table of the top 20-plus-one (min. 38 picks):
| College | # Picks | VAE | Rank | ROI | Rank |
| Louisiana State | 112 | +39.5 | 1 | +15.7% | 7 |
| Pittsburgh | 100 | +38.2 | 2 | +16.9% | 6 |
| Miami (FL) | 168 | +36.9 | 3 | +8.6% | 12 |
| Georgia | 109 | +32.3 | 4 | +13.9% | 9 |
| Virginia | 70 | +27.3 | 5 | +18.8% | 5 |
| UCLA | 126 | +27.0 | 6 | +9.7% | 10 |
| Purdue | 91 | +26.7 | 7 | +14.7% | 8 |
| Louisville | 45 | +25.7 | 8 | +28.9% | 1 |
| Georgia Tech | 53 | +22.5 | 9 | +22.7% | 2 |
| Texas A&M | 128 | +21.2 | 10 | +7.6% | 15 |
| College | # Picks | VAE | Rank | ROI | Rank |
| Arizona State | 114 | +20.6 | 11 | +8.2% | 13 |
| Jackson State | 39 | +19.7 | 12 | +22.6 | 3 |
| Southern Mississippi | 40 | +14.4 | 13 | +20.5% | 4 |
| San Diego State | 80 | +12.6 | 14 | +8.0% | 14 |
| Oklahoma State | 51 | +11.0 | 15 | +9.5% | 11 |
| Maryland | 68 | +10.7 | 16 | +7.4% | 16 |
| Auburn | 106 | +9.8 | 17 | +4.1% | 19 |
| North Carolina | 92 | +7.7 | 18 | +3.8% | 21 |
| Boston College | 78 | +7.3 | 19 | +4.5% | 18 |
| Syracuse | 73 | +7.2 | 20 | +4.6% | 17 |
| Missouri | 61 | +4.7 | 21 | +3.9% | 20 |
Miami is the only college among the top 10 in total picks to also be among the top 20 in VAE and ROI. It should come as no surprise that the most valuable Hurricanes come from the halcyon days of 1995-2001. Among picks that produced +3.0 VAE are Ed Reed (+5.2 VAE, +150.1% ROI), Frank Gore (+4.7, +204.4%), Reggie Wayne (+4.6, +143.4%), Ray Lewis (+4.6, +136.1%), Clinton Portis (+4.4, +173.9%), Warren Sapp (+4.4, +102.3%), Edgerrin James (+3.9, +88.3%), Vince Wilfork (+3.3, +91.2%), and Jon Beason (+3.0, +88.3%).
In contrast to Miami's slew of household names, LSU boasts less-heralded picks that produced at least +3.0 VAE. I mentioned the impeccably named Tommy Casanova last week (+6.1 VAE, +189.3% ROI), but first on the Tigers' list is a running back who had one of the best three-year stretches of the salary cap era. Domanick Williams (nee Davis), selected 101st in 2003 by the Houston Texans, gained at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of his three seasons, good for 8.5 Adjusted CarAV/Yr. Another blast from the past is wide receiver Eric Martin (+6.3, +562.5%), who the New Orleans Saints took at No. 179 in 1985. To this day, and despite the team's pass offense exploits over the past two decades, Martin still holds the franchise record for receptions and receiving yards.
To further feed the narrative of Pennsylvania football, the Pittsburgh Panthers rank in the top six of both VAE and ROI, and have produced the highest percentage of positive-VAE picks (53.0 percent). In the top 222 picks of drafts between 1970 and 2007, they boast six Hall of Famers, with Darrelle Revis poised to make it seven if he successfully returns from his 2012 ACL tear. Among other Panthers that produced at least +3.0 VAE were Giants defensive tackle Keith Hamilton (+4.4 VAE, +242.9% ROI), Oilers cornerback J.C. Wilson (+3.3, +354.3%), and 49ers cornerback Carlton Williamson (+3.1, +133.5%). If you're wondering about Larry Fitzgerald, he's produced +0.5 VAE and +7.9% ROI thus far in his career.
The only other college with an aggregate VAE above +30.0 is Georgia. But unlike LSU, Miami, and Pittsburgh, the Bulldogs don't have a single Hall of Famer to show for their relative draft value -- at least not yet. I'll get into the topic more when I present the best and worst individual picks since the merger, but for now I'll simply point out that Jake Scott produced 10.2 Adjusted CarAV/Yr as the 159th pick in 1970 and Terrell Davis produced 9.9 Adjusted CarAV/Yr as the 196th pick in 1995. Davis has several more bites at the Hall of Fame apple, but Scott's omission is a total mystery to me after having run the stats for this series.
Finally, we come to the "Luke, I am your father!" moment, a point at which we must talk about the thing you least expected. Tiny Jackson State, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, boasts less than one-fifth as many students as my alma mater, the University of Florida. Yet Jackson State shows up in the top 21 while said alma mater does not. With a mere 39 picks, these Tigers have the fifth-highest percentage of positive-VAE picks (48.7 percent), which includes two Hall of Famers: Walter Payton (+4.0 VAE, +72.7% ROI) and Jackie Slater (+2.1, +107.5%).
Interestingly enough, neither Payton nor Slater are among Jackson State's best three draft selections in terms of VAE. Leon Gray (+4.9 VAE, +234.4% ROI), taken 78th overall by the New England Patriots in 1973, was an eight-year starter at left tackle for the Patriots and Oilers, made four Pro Bowls, and was voted first-team All-Pro three times. Rickey Young (+4.3, +354.9%) was San Diego's pick at No. 164 of the 1975 draft, started at either fullback or halfback during his first seven seasons for the Chargers and Vikings, and led the NFL in receptions in 1978.
And then there's Jimmy Smith. Chase Stuart has already made a convincing argument for why Smith is one of the best wide receivers in NFL history, so feel free to click that link. In terms of FO stats, the 36th pick of the 1992 draft had the following DYAR rankings from 1996 to 2001: 4th, 10th, 13th, 1st, 11th , and 7th. After that bit of information, along with his draft value stats (+4.1 VAE, +137.6% ROI), I can't say I disagree with Chase all that much.
I've detailed a mere one-quarter of the VAE/ROI table, so feel free to ask questions and offer opinions in the comments section. Next week, I'll be finishing off this series with a look at the best individual picks from 1970 to 2007. Here's a teaser: Tom Brady is not No. 1.
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DollaChoppa
North Carolina St. Fan
Undefeated vs UNC in everything
Member since May 2008
67808 posts
re: NFL Draft 2013: The 10 colleges whose draftees offer the best pro value (Posted on 4/30/13 at 6:43 p.m. to LSUFAN910)
1. LSU
2. Pittsburgh
3. Miami
4. Georgia
5. Virginia
6. UCLA
7. Purdue
8. Louisville
9. Georgia Tech
10. Texas A&M
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http://www.dandydon.com/
Dandy Don's LSU Sports Report
In LSU baseball news, the Tigers defeated the McNeese Cowboys last night, 7-3, to improve to 40-6 overall and 16-4 in the SEC. With the win, the Tigers extended their winning streak against in-state opponents to 26 games. The Tigers have also won 33 straight mid-week games, dating back to April 12, 2011, when LSU lost to Northwestern State.
Last night’s game was just what the doctor ordered for a team needing to bounce back and gain confidence after last weekend's series loss to South Carolina before taking on the Florida Gators in a three-game series starting Thursday. The three games will be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday (as will all the remaining regular season SEC series). Yesterday I mistakenly listed Game 3 as being on Sunday, and I regret the error.
Coach Mainieri decided to start freshman right-hander Hunter Newman who picked up the first victory of his collegiate career. Newman (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings and allowed two hits while striking out one. LSU got production from six bullpen pitchers, including freshman Will LaMarche who struck out three of the seven batters he faced in two innings. Nate Fury pitched a perfect sixth and was followed by Mitch Sewald, Nick Rumbelow, Taylor Butler and Kevin Berry.
The Tigers swung the bat well and were led at the plate by Jacoby Jones and Christian Ibarra who each ended with three of LSU's 15 hits. Jones’ transformation at the plate lately has been pretty doggone good. He went from hitting .188 at the end of March to .275 today, after going 23-for-53 (.433) in the month of April.
Here's a quick scoring summary: The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Mark Laird hit a one-out single up the middle, stole second and scored on Mason Katz’s RBI single. (The RBI was Katz’s first since April 10th). Ibarra added to LSU’s lead in the bottom of the second with a solo homer, his fifth home run of the season. The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the fifth on a leadoff double by Laird, a single by Katz and a sac fly by Raph Rhymes. The Tigers broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth on singles from Ibarra, Ty Ross, Jones and pinch hitter Tyler Moore. With the bases loaded and nobody out, designated hitter Sean McMullen walked in the fifth run, and then Laird was forced into a fielder’s choice, scoring Jones from third. With men on the corner and one out, Alex Bregman knocked an opposite field single to score pinch runner Andrew Stevenson and the fourth run of the inning. McNeese took advantage of a pair of LSU errors to score two unearned runs in the top of the seventh and added another in the 9th, making the final score 7-3.
The Tigers return to action at the Box tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. for Game 1 of the Florida series, and it will be televised by ESPNU. Friday's game at 6:30 p.m. will be televised by CST/CSS and Saturday's series finale will be televised by ESPN2.
Changing gears.... it's been a while since I've written about football recruiting, so today I'll pass along a bit of what I've been hearing.
Earlier this week I heard from a source at Holy Cross High School who told me about a defensive back that is starting to get a lot of attention. His name is Travis Crawford (S/CB, 5'11", 190) and he's now number 33 on my list of Top LA Football Prospects for 2014. According to my source, Crawford is one of the most talented athletes to ever come through Holy Cross. He describes him as “a strong, hard hitting free safety that flies around the field,’ You can judge for yourself by checking out Crawford’s highlight video. Several schools are starting to show interest, including Oklahoma St, UCLA, Arkansas, Arkansas St (offer), LA Tech, Air Force, and LSU. I was told that Frank Wilson visited Holy Cross recently and spent a lot of time watching film of Crawford and 2015 wide receiver prospect Michael Chigbu (6'2", 210). Chigbu should get lots of action this season, as he will take over for LSU signee Kevin Spears on the outside.
Another prospect who has really seen his stock rise recently is running back Darrell Williams of John Ehret. Williams (6'1", 213, No. 13 on my list of Top LA Prospects for 2014) had a great showing at a recent combine in Atlanta and caught the attention of scouts everywhere. According to my source, Williams has offers from Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, USC and others, and has been receiving a lot of interest from Texas and Alabama. From what I understand, LSU is hoping to check him out at the summer camp before extending an offer.
I also heard from by best source on Trey Quinn news, and was told that Quinn was very impressed with LSU’s spring game, and with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. I remain very hopeful and confident that Quinn (WR, 6'1", 200, Barbe, No. 2 on my list of Top LA Prospects for 2014) will be a Tiger when it's all said and done. Quinn comes from a great family and is a smart young man. Yesterday his long list of offers grew by one as Vanderbilt extended an offer.
In softball news, congratulations are in order for LSU senior pitcher Rachele Fico who was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Fico is the sixth LSU player to earn this prestigious national award. The others are Rachel Mitchell (March 24, 2009), Trena Peel (March 27, 2002), Britni Sneed (April 24, 2002), Kristin Schmidt (March 3, 2004) and Emily Turner (May 2, 2007). Oh, and last night’s softball game against Northwestern State was canceled due to weather and will not be made up.
A little personal tid-bit in closing: Last night I made use of the catfish I caught during my weekend camping trip and tweeted a picture of the dish with the text, “Cooking a catfish courtbuillon while listening to #LSU baseball.” The message was retweeted by a few followers, including Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples who asked for the recipe. I will be posting the recipe tomorrow for your enjoyment.
Reader comment: Scott, check out what ESPN is saying about all the talent at "U-High.”
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