Miles says let legal process run its course

Earlier this week, Jordan Jefferson’s attorney, Lewis Unglesby, said he planned to speak with LSU coach Les Miles about having his client reinstated to the football team.

Miles said after Wednesday’s practice that he wants to let the legal process run its course.

“The issues for me are that I’m kind of stuck into what is our discipline here, and I’m going to maintain that,” he said. “There’s a difference when legal entanglement is still there. I hope very honestly that (Jefferson) can defend himself very effectively, that he can abide by whatever the constraints of the legal system are and let it be expedited so that he can step to the field. We certainly are rooting for him.”

Jefferson, a two-year starter at quarterback, and reserve linebacker Josh Johns were suspended indefinitely by Miles after being arrested Friday for their alleged role in an Aug. 19 bar fight. Both players bonded out of East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on second-degree battery counts.

Miles said he has not met with Unglesby to discuss Jefferson’s status.

“My issues are kind of cut in stone,” Miles said. “It’s fundamental to me.”

Fourth-ranked LSU opens Saturday night against No. 3 Oregon at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Depth chart

LSU put out its first official depth chart Wednesday since beginning fall camp.

On the offensive line, T-Bob Hebert is listed as the starter at left guard and the backup at center and right guard. Will Blackwell is the starter at right guard. At the receiver spots, Kadron Boone is listed as the starter opposite No. 1 receiver Rueben Randle; freshman Odell Beckham Jr. will join Boone and Randle in the lineup when LSU goes to a three-receiver set, according to the depth chart.

The running back position lists Spencer Ware, Alfred Blue and Michael Ford as the top three in no particular order. James Stampley is the starter ahead of J.C. Copeland at fullback.

At middle linebacker, Karnell Hatcher is listed as the starter in front of Kevin Minter.

Josh Downs is listed as the starter at right defensive tackle and Michael Brockers at left defensive tackle. Bennie Logan and Anthony “Freak” Johnson, a freshman, are listed as backups.

In addition to Jefferson, projected starters Russell Shepard at receiver and Josh Dworaczyk at guard will not be available for the Oregon game. Shepard was ruled ineligible by LSU for violating NCAA rules. Dworaczyk went down with a knee injury during fall camp and is expected to undergo surgery.

On his weekly radio show Wednesday night, Miles said LSU may petition the NCAA to give Dworaczyk, a fifth-year senior, a medical redshirt.

Hatcher a ‘natural’

Hatcher, a former safety, will make his debut linebacker Saturday as he tries to help fill the void left in the middle by Kelvin Shepperd running out of eligibility after last season.

“A lot of guys that come down from safety don’t necessarily have a natural feel for a linebacker spot. Karnell Hatcher does,” Miles said. “He is very athletic and defeats blockers with athleticism when he can. At the same time he is very physical at the point of attack. He takes guards on and does it extremely well. He has been a real pleasant surprise. He has taken to the linebacker spot very effectively.”

Texas flair

It’s no secret LSU likes to recruit in neighboring Texas, and this year’s Tigers boast 12 players from the Lone Star State.

But even college programs from far away find prospects in Texas. Programs like Oregon.

LSU’s opponent in the Cowboys Classic has junior quarterback Darron Thomas from Aldine and junior running back LaMicheal James from Texarkana, plus sophomore wide receiver Josh Huff from Houston, freshman running back Tra Carson from Texarkana and freshman quarterback Brennan Doty from Port Neches.

Redshirt freshman running back Lache Seastrunk from Temple recently transferred to Baylor.

“We’ve already talked about it and let our teammates know how big this game is to us and our families,” Thomas said.

LSU’s contingent of Texans includes senior quarterback Jarrett Lee from Brenham, senior cornerback Ron Brooks from Irving, sophomore Craig Loston from Houston and sophomore Michael Brockers from Houston.

Advocate in Big D

About 1,500 complimentary copies of the Saturday Advocate will be delivered to hotels near Cowboys Stadium. The hotels that will receive the papers are the Omni Fort Worth (team hotel), Worthington Renaissance (Fort Worth), Gaylord Texan, Hilton Anatole, Renaissance Dallas, Warwick Melrose, Marriott DFW, and the Hyatt Regency DFW. Papers will also be delivered to the RV Lot at Cowboys Stadium.

Comments

1) Comment by caliguy58 - 02/09/2011

People, as citizens of the United States, you should know that the accused in a criminal prosecution does not have to prove anything. Rather, the accused is presumed to be innocent until the state proves he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a trial by a jury of his peers. The accused does have the right to file a motion for a speedy trial, which if granted requires the state to try him within a specified amount of time. However, the prosecution has numerous grounds for opposing such a motion and the granting thereof is not automatic, but up to the trial judge. La.C.Cr.Proc. Art. 701(D)(1)(a) provides that after the filing of a proper motion for a speedy trial by an accused, the trial of the accused shall commence within 180 days (6 months) from the date of filing of the motion, if he has been released on bail. Thus, even if JJ filed a motion for a speedy trial, football season would be over before the D.A. would be required to commence his trial. Thus, as far as his senior year of football is concerned, a motion for a speedy trial would not do JJ any good. As for the allegations of a "MOB ATTACK", this poster needs to watch the video going around the internet of Mr. Lowery's (the Marine) behavior inside the club as well as outside. This jerk continually harassed a woman in the club, who made it obvious she wanted nothing to do with him. She pushes this jerk away a number of times as he is grabbing her in such a manner that he should be charged with sexual battery. Lowery then goes outside and according to disinterested witnesses throws the first punch in the altercation that led to his injuries. Again, given his actions before the altercation in question, Lowery acted in such a manner that anyone present, who was attacked by him outside the bar, had the right of self-defense and the right to make sure this Marine did not get up once he was down to inflict more injuries on the true victims (the LSU football players, among others). And, as I said before, Lowery is lucky that he learned he was not fit for combat before being sent to fight in the middle east. The LSU football players actually did him a favor. There are also reports now that JJ has received "death threats" from Marines around the country, who have heard of the incident. We already have incontrovertible evidence of Marines engaging in torture overseas, though, for the most part, they haven't been punished in any manner for what is clearly war crimes. So, before "super-patriots" and "jar heads" go around accusing the LSU players of participating in a "Mob Attack", maybe they ought to try to objectively assess their comrade's behavior in this matter. If they do (that is if that is possible), I think they may change their minds about the nature of Lowery's actions and the reasons he was dealt with in an effective manner after he started the fight.

2) Comment by TommyRucker - 01/09/2011

WHY DOESN'T JEFFERSON DEMAND A SPEEDY TRIAL IF HE IS INNOCENT??? Why doesn't the DA do his part to move to a speedy trial and allow Jefferson to show that he is innocent as are all his fellow players who were involved in this mess. Maybe I am missing something but I have yet to hear a demand for a speedy trial so Jefferson and company could easily prove their innocence and then this would all be RESOLVED and he could go back to playing football and be in position to collect the big bucks from the NFL. WHY???? Why not help a self proclaimed innocent man and have a speedy trial??? Something doesn't smell right here.

3) Comment by TommyRucker - 01/09/2011

If you are innocent then why don't you want you day in court to prove it rather than have some defense attorney try to manipulate public opinion thru the media??? This apparently was a MOB ATTACK and involves a lot more than two players and the 'system' is into damage control. The legal system cannot and will not play out as Miles has said because the DA will not do what he is sworn to do as he continues to 'wimp out'. This guy ran for DA for several years before he was elected and he is determined to hold onto the POSITION at any cost as it is all about HIM rather than doing his sworn duty. This needs to go to trial and it needs to be done NOW but the defense attorney are trying to circumvent the judicial system and the DA apparently is going along with it. This is an insult to the judicial system in this state and shows it does not deserve our respect. Someone or someones KICKED this guy while on the ground and you can get every member of the LSU FOOTBALL TEAM MOB knows who it is and if they are obstructing justice, they need to pay the same price that everyone else pays when they obstruct justice and lie to police or lie on the witness stand. The DA IS OBVIOUSLY taking the 'most popular' approach and is protecting LSU and make this go away. The first step in the process is to ignore and delay, then comes doubt (or as it is frequently said-lack of evidence to go forward). It is hard to accept that things have deteriorated so bad in our judicial system where personalities, self serving ,etc. are placed way above principles. The system is going to bled these VICTIMS financially before this is over as they don't have a legal defense fund that is funded by the LSU athletic dept backing them and they obviously lack the support of the DA. I see where the DA has addressed the LSU football team in the past as a 'trusted advisor'. I wonder if he has addressed and supported the victims of this MOB. Is the judicial system supporting MOB RULE, just because the members are wearing LSU football jerseys??? It is difficult to believe that our society has sunk to such a low level as demonstrated by the behavior of the DA and in my opinion that is a very serious problem, much worse than the beating up of these people by this mob. This was a MOB looking for trouble and they found it and there were some very serious injuries. I bet this defense attorney has had clients with much lesser neck injuries that he defined as very serious and collected big bucks for in some law suit. You have to admire the victims' attorney as he is really up against it as are the victims in this case. They represent all the little people in society who aren't rich and powerful or who HAVE POWERFUL FRIENDS or have high price defense attorneys paid by the LSU athletic dept.'s legal defense fund. Are other students at LSU who get in legal trouble provided similar support???