We certainly did that last year lol. Fournette and Henry traded places from then on.
If I was coach O, I would continue to play the young hungry backs and let Leonard watch and heal. I still believe he will prove to be a good pro.
Question: Anybody think Fournette may "shut it down" the rest of the season?
- Thread starter Bamabuzzard
- Start date
If I was coach O, I would continue to play the young hungry backs and let Leonard watch and heal. I still believe he will prove to be a good pro.
Different era perhaps, but they still played hard. Wouldn't the likelihood of getting injure increase with more touches as you stated ?? Yet it didn't deterred them from giving their best during their college days.
Two thoughts - First, since the school fired Miles, I could understand players losing focus and beginning to think about themselves. I am sure that many feel that the school gave up on them when they gave up on Miles. Second, if Fournette (or any player) half-steps in SEC games, they are risking injury. For that reason, he should try to be himself on the field or get off the field altogether.
Is it quitting for him to walk away? Absolutely. But he really doesn't owe LSU any more than he has given them. He has sacrificed mind, body and spirit for that program, and they already have 2 losses. The program might be better served by playing some of their younger RBs down the stretch this season.
Is it quitting for him to walk away? Absolutely. But he really doesn't owe LSU any more than he has given them. He has sacrificed mind, body and spirit for that program, and they already have 2 losses. The program might be better served by playing some of their younger RBs down the stretch this season.
I agree with this and just said to my husband about an hour ago, that I thought LF had played his last down of college football.
As someone, who has a lifetime of weird health problems, I can not fault any athlete, for waiting until they are fully healed, before getting back on the field. Some others (read: Tony Romo) need to learn how to ratchet down the competitive drive, and realize they are probably not going to be able to be vertical, when they hit 60. (Or, in his case, 50.)
Depending on how long it takes that nagging injury, to heal, and what the team's situation will be, once he is fully healed, should determine whether it is quitting, or not.
Yes, I know some of our players have gone through an entire season, really banged up. They are gutty performers, and have earned a lot of well-deserved respect. I only hope when they reach my age that they won't regret what they did. Only they will be able to answer that.
(Not that it matters, but tearing up my right shoulder, over 50 years ago....................it hurts, as I type this. Frequently makes handwriting dang near impossible. Adhesions, scar tissue, etc. And, no, it was not worth it! I still flunked gym.)
I hope he doesn't shut it down completely. Fournette is not only a complete football player, he's also one of the leaders of the team. What kind of message does it send to the team when one of their leaders quits on them because his interests take priority. If he had a knee injury, or something that was career impeding, it might be different. However, many have played with far worse than an ankle injury and still had great careers afterwards.
What I do think we will see is LSU become more of a committee approach. With the explosion of both Guice and Williams last week, it's obvious they don't need Fournette to carry them the way they did last year. Cut his carries from 80% down to 40%. His stats do not matter at this point. He's still a top 10 draft pick next year, and he's out of the Heisman race either way. He would be more protected, and he's still given a chance to impact the game in both his talent and presence.
LF is one of the most freakishly talented athletes I've seen from my generation. I hope he has a monstrous career in the NFL, and I hope my fantasy teams benefit from that. But he's too meaningful to his team to quit.
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What I do think we will see is LSU become more of a committee approach. With the explosion of both Guice and Williams last week, it's obvious they don't need Fournette to carry them the way they did last year. Cut his carries from 80% down to 40%. His stats do not matter at this point. He's still a top 10 draft pick next year, and he's out of the Heisman race either way. He would be more protected, and he's still given a chance to impact the game in both his talent and presence.
LF is one of the most freakishly talented athletes I've seen from my generation. I hope he has a monstrous career in the NFL, and I hope my fantasy teams benefit from that. But he's too meaningful to his team to quit.
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If he doesn't get well he would be advised to do this....his future is too good and LSU is a 2 loss team that is going nowhere. I would hate to see him have another injury trying to cover for a weak ankle....
Doesn't really matter. Derrius Guice had a break out game and proved that LSU can run the ball using a little offensive imagination. Heck, they may be better off using Fournette as a decoy for the remainder of the season.
I'm going to say that there is no way you have seen the last of Fournette on the field for LSU. I don't expect y'all to know this, but he may be one of the most team oriented players LSU has ever seen. I laugh when I see threads or comments that say otherwise. I would not even rule out his return for his senior year. Crazy and very unlikely, but the man loves college and loves LSU. He is well insured against a career ending injury.
He he is not healthy right now. He'll get there soon, may get limited carries against So Miss, but an Ole Miss return is most likely.
He he is not healthy right now. He'll get there soon, may get limited carries against So Miss, but an Ole Miss return is most likely.
Here's the dilemma Fournette is going to probably find himself in. Reportedly he has a high ankle sprain so if that is true it will not completely heal until after the season. When I played ball I had a few of them and until you can completely rest for several, several weeks it doesn't completely heal. Also, considering the sport Fournette plays (I played baseball) the wear, tear and aggravation to his ankle will get worse week by week. So the question he's going to be faced with is, "I know I'm not going to get back to 100% this season. Is it worth continuing to play and risking the ankle getting exposed to more damage and injury?" If you're in Fournette's shoes that's not the easiest of questions to answer.
Coach O is going to save him for the Bama game. That's all that matters to him. The rest of the season is meaningless. And absolutely if he wins he will be inking a contract before midnight.
I'm not so sure about the inking thing. If they have other options I just don't see it. I'll eat crow if it comes to pass.
If I were in Fournette's shoes I'd make hay until the really stiff defenses stop me, then pull back a little and save his body for the next level. Fournette's chances for the Heisman pretty much vanished during the Alabama game last year. Our Defense killed him. Opening the way for big Henry to get the Heisman. Fournette will make a very good back at the next level, but while he is at LSU he needs help. It's gonna take more than a one man show to topple Alabama.
He loses two games and beats Bama he's hired. That's from a handful of mid level boosters I know within the LSU circle. With the Charlie Strong/Texas situation and Herman also being high on their list. LSU realizes their chances of getting Herman has taken a hit. Also, the shine on Jimbo Fisher has all but faded. His name isn't as popular within the circle of people that matter in Baton Rouge. Granted, there are others on their short list but they realize the Texas job will more than likely be coming open and the USCw job could very possibly be open as well. They are preparing for Plan C and D at this point.
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To be clear, at least as far as my opinion goes, I do not doubt Fournette's love for LSU or dedication to his team. In this day and age though, with the money flying around these players, I can no longer blame them if they find themselves on the border between college and pro with a nagging injury. Which is where he is at right now. Especially when the leaders of his program have already punted this season away.
I understand all the rah rah stuff, and the macho "warrior" mentality that these guys have to take on. I get it. I also understand he has a family to take care of and LSU ain't gonna pay those bills. Again, JMO.
LOL, if they end up with Coach O out of this, I will be rejoicing. Even if they manage to beat us (which isn't out of the realm of possibility by a long shot).
Coach O excels in these situations because he is a creature of the moment. But give him a program to build and maintain? I would be celebrating if they go down that road.
To be honest I don't know what to think. I don't think Coach O will ever be mistaken for an Urban Meyer or a Nick Saban. But I do wonder if he's the exact same guy who coached Ole Miss or has he learned and grown as a coach? If you hear him speak he's very open about the mistakes he made at Ole Miss with his approach to coaching and what he learned from that experience. He admits to now being a type coach who believes in hiring the best coordinators and assistants you can and let them do the job you pay them to do. Something that Miles didn't do with the OC position, which ultimately got him fired. Time will tell. But I'm with you. I'd rather LSU hire him than the next Urban Meyer or Nick Saban, which is more of a possibility with hiring Tom Herman than hiring Coach O.
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