by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Following a weekend of rumors, junior running back John Emery Jr is confirmed to be out for the entire 2021 campaign, according to Head Coach Ed Orgeron.
Yes, that's right....I can't believe it either.
After months of Coach O saying "John's doing great on his academics" etc upon etc always bringing up John's improving academics when rattling off the performance of each running back on roster, Emery Jr is now remarkably ineligible for this year.
All throughout spring and fall camp, Coach O would say "Ty ran the ball well today, Armoni looks good, Corey looks good and John's doing great in the classroom"....which now, in retrospect, sounds like Orgeron is really saying "I'm worried about Emery Jr's academics"....
It's an awful blow for both John and LSU's running game, both taking yet another hit after hoping Emery Jr could be at least ready for the start of the SEC schedule vs Mississippi State.
Now, 2021 will go down as a completely missed season, a tragedy for the former Destrehan superstar running back and a big blow after a personally & collectively frustrating 2020, #4 finishing with limited carries, yards and only 3 TDs.
Just like fellow junior running back Ty Davis-Price, Emery needed a strong 2021, but the class of 2019 pairing, who were always tied together in every Orgeron press conference or analyst's breakdown, always seemed destined to be split apart, one separating from the other...... but we believed we'd witness that separation on the field....not from John failing to meet his academic hours requirements, or as is widely alleged, an LSU compliance department or NCAA academic mistake.
What the hell is this?
Is this down to Coach O's culture?
Is this all about some players acting entitled, especially those who are 5 star ranked talents?
Is this just down to John Emery Jr caring more about everything else...except his own future?
What happened here?
I reached out to LSU Odyssey friend and father of John Jr, Mr. John Emery Sr, and he didn't have much to elaborate on further, however I could sense Sr feels his son has been done wrong.
How come this can't be rectified during the season, especially if it's an NCAA or LSU error??
Coach O didn't seem ready to say anything except John was "unavailable for the rest of the season"....which tells me this has to be a situation that went so horribly wrong with either paperwork, missed assignments, miscommunication, missed hours, or clerical errors on top of it to the point there's no turning back or saving Emery Jr's 2021 season.
However you look at it, whoever is to blame, it's just a purple and gold tragedy....and it's becoming an all too familiar theme:
We believe it...but we never see it.
GEAUX TIGERS
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
SHOUTOUTS: John Emery Jr and Sr, we are with y'all!!!