On Friday we reported that LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson had been involved in some kind of bar fight with teammates on Thursday night, though at the time we didn't know any details of the scuffle, or what exactly happened. Well, while the details of the fight are still unknown for the most part, there's one report that doesn't bode well for Jefferson or his teammates.
According to a report in The Times-Picayune, Jefferson will be one of four LSU Tigers to be arrested on Monday.
The report says that Jefferson and his teammates will face battery charges. Specifically, Jefferson and offensive tackle Chris Davenport will be charged with second degree battery. Defensive tackle Josh Downs, a starter, and wide receiver Jarvis Landry will be facing a simple battery charge. Simple battery is just throwing a punch or slapping somebody, and it's a misdemeanor.
That's not the case with second degree battery, which is a felony charge. It's a charge that is usually reserved for instances in which the victim suffers some kind of injury like a broken bone or needs to be hospitalized. According to the Baton Rouge police, four people had to check into the hospital to be treated for injuries after the fight.
The Times-Picayune report has been disputed -- to an extent -- by a Sunday Baton Rouge Advocate story, which states Jefferson, Davenport, Downs, and Landry will be reporting to BRPD for an interview at 9 a.m. Monday. BRPD officer Donald Stone did not confirm that the interview would result in arrests, saying it was still "early in the investigation," but did not rule them out. He did say that "one individual associated with the fight likely would be booked" on second-degree battery charges, but delined to say who.
The police also said that there were between 15 and 20 members of the LSU football team involved in the fight, but by the time police arrived, most were gone.
If Jefferson and his teammates are indeed arrested on Monday odds are that they will not be available for LSU's season opening game against Oregon.
A "disappointed and mad" Les Miles spoke with reporters Saturday, apologizing for his players' actions and vowing it would not happen again. Both Miles and LSU athletic director Joe Alleva suggested that in addition to internal discipline, further disciplinary actions would be taken once law enforcement completed their investigations. Miles did not rule out suspensions for multiple players in addition to Jefferson.
"[Senior starting center] T-Bob [Hebert] was [present] too, and there were a bunch of other guys," Miles said. "This was a team violation, not just a guy."
