A random tight end shows up at walk-through
Dae’Quan Wright was still in an NFL locker room this summer. Philadelphia first, then Cleveland. By Monday, he was out on LSU’s practice field.
The former Ole Miss tight end won’t play Saturday against Clemson. The NCAA requires seven days of acclimatisation before any player can appear in a game. But he’s here, and that’s already the story.
Lane Kiffin takes charge of the Tigers for the first time on Saturday, with the No. 11 team in the country. College GameDay is setting up in Baton Rouge for the occasion. The matchup was big enough on its own. Adding players dumped by NFL teams has turned it into a far bigger circus.
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A SEC rule gets blocked by a judge
Last week, the SEC voted through a rule banning this kind of recruiting, with heavy punishments for coaches, programs and universities that crossed the line.
A Baton Rouge judge then signed a temporary restraining order suspending the rule. He will rule on Thursday whether it stays in place. Until then, a player who signed a contract in the NFL, NBA or WNBA can join a college roster.
Kiffin says he thought twice about it. Not for his image. For the players already in his locker room.
“I’m probably in the minority in the way I make decisions,” he explained. “My decision should always be made with the players sitting in that room in mind, not for my reputation or for the way it gets spun by the national media or other fans.”
The locker room made its call
So he put the question to his leaders group. Straight out.
“I told them: this is your team. What do you want to do? If these players can be added to rosters, what do you want to do?” The answer, he said, was unanimous: if they can help us win, bring them in.
One player put it another way, and that may be the line that sticks from the week. That’s how it works at the level above. And that’s how the real world works.
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