Southeast coach faces a gut check with his QB
Houston Lillard remembers to show up for Southeast football practice. He doesn't remember to show up for a criminal hearing in front of a judge.
Puzzling, sure. But try to overlook Lillard's lack of priorities long enough to ask the more pressing question: What will his coach do about it?
To recap the story that broke on this site Tuesday and then in the local media Wednesday, Southeast's starting quarterback was arrested Monday and charged with skipping a court date Aug. 12. The original charge was public indecency, but now he adds the charge of failing to appear in court, both of which he'll address — provided he remembers the date — in front of a judge Oct. 14.
Lillard says he simply forgot the date, that it was an honest mistake because he was wrapped up in preseason practice. Even for a 22-year-old college student with a world of distractions, it's a flimsy cop-out.
And now as a result of his QB's oversight, third-year coach Tony Samuel, staring at the potential of a 1-3 start if the Redhawks lose Saturday to Missouri State, faces the embarrassing decision of whether to bench Lillard for Saturday's game. He refused to address it in a story published Wednesday, but his other options at quarterback include a trio of obscure names that have seen little to no playing time: junior college transfer Dustin Powell, freshman Bobby Hoffman and freshman Matt Scheible. Of the four, only Lillard has ever started a game at Southeast.
Whoever walks onto the field Saturday and lines up behind center will speak volumes about the character of Samuel and the state of Southeast football.
A start by Powell or even Hoffman or Scheible tells Southeast teammates, fans and students that Samuel puts principle above winning, and that doing the right thing comes before winning a home game.
And a start by Lillard? That sends a message, too: that athletes can pee on a downtown sidewalk, get taken to jail and even forget a court date, because that's the Southeast way.
27 comments:
Callanan is no longer with the program, he transferred out before the first game.
Most people have no idea how bad this coaching staff is as a whole, in all aspects of running a program. If you only knew about half the stuff that has gone on, you would be astonished that they are still employed.
Thanks psychic, I just saw Callanan's name listed somewhere this week and got the names switched. I fixed it.
Any bets on who starts this week's game?
This is the best blog post I've ever read. SEMO athletes are embarrassing. Thanks for not holding back, Jamie.
Callanan did not transfer out. He quit the football team but is still a student at SEMO.
Hey psychic,
Why do you clue everyone in as to the "stuff that has gone on" that no one knows about?
As a coach, you have to hold your student-athletes to high ethical and moral values. This is unacceptable behavior and an example needs to be made. I hope Tony Samuel makes the right decision. Not only is he setting an example for his team, but for all the youth in the area.
Anyone want to make a bet that Lillard will miss no action on the field. I predict the matter will be handled "in house" with no one knowing what the penalty is, if there is even one handed down.
Lillard is starting. The news has already been announced.
http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=7317
I haven't heard or seen anything official about Lillard starting this week, and I'll be surprised if Samuel addresses it publicly. But if Lillard does start, it will be a huge statement about the current state of athletics at Southeast.
Sorry, but if he starts a game Saturday in the same week he was arrested for skipping out on court, everybody in the stadium (if there's anybody actually there) should get up and leave and send a clear message to SEMO, Kenneth Dobbins and the whole crew: Clean up your program, hire coaches with character and expect more out of your student athletes.
Jamie, talk to Eric Sean. He is the one that broke the news that Lillard is starting on saturday.
Erik broke the news during his show with Samuel. Samuel even said during the show he WOULD start on Saturday.
Look, plain and simple, if the QB starts for SEMO this week, then Samuel is telling his team that they can do what they want, when they want, how they want -- he'll start them anyway.
The Dobber should be totally humiliated by his coach. Really the whole athletic department and everybodoy above them should be ashamed if he starts this game.
I agree with you 100%!!
How can anybody seriously think he should start a game just 5 days after getting arrested FOR A SECOND TIME this summer?!?!?! Putting him in the lineup tells every future thug recruit that you get a free pass.
Callanan is still going to school at SEMO this semester but may consider transferring before next season. Anyone ever find out why a player with great work ethic, character, and athletic ability didn't want to play for this coaching staff?
Peolpe act like they are shocked that a fb player got arrested. Come on now..
Where was the outrage back when the frosh from Jackson got summoned for stealing a few weeks back?
I like this site, but I wish you guys would update on a daily basis. Sometimes you guys claim that you got the news first, when actually it has already been posted on other sites. It has been a known fact for two days that Lillard will start, and the people at this site still havent mentioned it. It is old news now.
every one is on SEMO for this small incident. What about the kid in jackson who was given a ticket for being intoxicated and now will be starting tonight against Sikeston? Why should SEMO care if they play a player for not showing up to court when the community doesn't care if a player signs an aggrement to not drink, or he will play no sports for the school year, is only given a two game suspension. Houston was wrong twice...peeing in public and not going to court. But are we forgeting this is for peeing. Not guns, not drugs, not abuse. And for the record holliman wasn't steriods...NCAA has alot of banned substances Ripped Fuel is illegal. And the kids who stole from the mall...arn't on the team I believe.
Aliifua and Williams are still listed on the roster, Stroter is the only one that has left. Aliifua played last week. I don't believe that Samuel is nearly the disciplinarian that the media likes to portray him as.
To anon at 11:46: I'm glad you like the site, but yes, ours was the first to report the story that Houston Lillard was arrested Monday. It was on our site Tuesday, and it was reported by other media Wednesday.
As for Lillard being a starter, that news was reported on this site early Thursday, also before it appeared on other web sites but just after it was reported by KZIM radio.
For a small, independently operated web site without the backing of a big media company, we tend to hold our own when it comes to reporting bigger news.
After comparing last year's football roster with the current year(excluding the senoirs), there's 18 players(JT Bashford included)that didn't return. Why such a high exit rate for this team?
I heard there were a few of the Jackson players that got ticketed, but no one ever said who they were.
Nice job of the higher up's at Jackson to keep this one under wraps.
Maybe has something to do with the 1-2 start. Couldn't afford to lose players and risk another loss at the hands of Sikeston.
does anybody know more about the jackson football players who got ticketed? were they at a party drinking? how come news like this is kept hush-hush?
There's a different set of expectations for high school athletes and college athletes, because there's expected to be a difference in the maturity level.
Jackson High athletes are age 18 and under and legally viewed as minors. Lillard is 22 and was arrested -- not once, but twice since July 4.
There's no comparison.
Lillard was only arrested once, not twice. He received a summons to appear for the initial violation - all he had to do was show up in court and pay the small fine, he didn't and that is what he was arrested for. Receiving a "summons to appear" is NOT the same as being arrested.
Post a Comment