Should Les Miles Boot His Star LSU Running Back?

LSU starting running back Jeremy Hill has admitted to simple battering – along with a friend – for sucker-punching a 20-year old man outside Reggie’s bar in Tigerland, after video evidence emerged of his attack. He was sentenced to two years’ probation – although may still face jail time for a violation of probation for an earlier offence (details below), when he discusses his parole in late August.

The video of the attack is here. It’s not pretty viewing. 

Hill must attend anger management classes, has to stay away from social media, pay $375 in medical expenses to Connor Baldridge, and will be under a curfew – although will be ‘suspended’ for football-related activities.  He also must write a letter of apology and do 50 hours of community service.

Before he was sentenced, Judge Mike Erwin asked Hill if he read the newspaper. Hill said he didn’t.

“Maybe you should,” Erwin said, according a report from TheTowntalk. You can find out that you’re about this far away from ruining your life.I watched Cecil Collins play football at LSU, and he was one of the best running backs in the history of LSU football. He ended up spending 13 years in jail.” Collins is in jail for burglary.

Hill – who’s lightning speed would have made him one of the top ten running backs in the country to watch next season – was suspended by Les Miles for his role, and the charge by Baton Rouge police won’t make life any easier for the sophomore player.

Miles was suspended indefinitely by Les Miles after this arrest.

One has to remember – and ESPN.com has pointed this out – that he’s already in the doghouse (is it Tiger Cage?) with Les Miles and the LSU police after he was put on probation in 2012 for having misdemeanor carnal knowledge of a juvenile  – which he pleaded guilty for – despite initially beng charged with something much worse. “According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, Hill and another student, Avery Tate II, pressured a 14-year-old girl to perform oral sex“, said Channel 9 WAFB of Baton Rouge.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The question with us is is: Should Jeremy Hill continue at LSU at all? There’s no question that Hill’s an excellent running back. He run for 755 yards on 142 carries in just 10 games, scoring 12 touchdowns in the process. He shone out during LSU’s hardest stretch – at Texas A&M, at the two home games against South Carolina and Alabama, and there’s no disguising the fact that as much as LSU fans would want you to believe that they wouldn’t miss his lightning speed, they actually would.

But his behaviour has been horrific to say the least. The fight in the bar we can understand – and it’s a pretty minor charge (although we’d like to see the circumstances of the fight) – but the fact that he was already on probation when he did it? If he’s lucky Hill will get off lightly and find a sympathetic, LSU-supporting judge. If he’s not, Les Miles could be without a player all season while he’s doing time in jail. Remember, Les Miles was pretty lenient with Tyrann Mathieu until the straw broke the camel’s back. Will one sex charge and a fight while on parole be the straw this time, or will Les give Hill a third time?