After a report surfaced Thursday that LSU’s Russell Shepard could be facing a suspension, which would include the opener against Oregon, for unknown reasons, a school spokesperson stated that the wide receiver has not been suspended and has not violated team rules even as that’s not what the report stated.
According to the latest tidbits that have surfaced regarding the situation, team rules could -- do I really need to stress the word “could”? -- be the least of Shepard’s rumored issue(s).
In a pair of tweets from Randy Rosetta of TigerSportsDigest.com, the former Baton Rouge Advocate beat writer writes that he “has learned the situation with LSU’s Russell Shepard is a compliance issue related to off-campus housing arrangements.” More ominously, Rosetta goes on to write that “Shepard’s housing situation has been ongoing perhaps since he arrived on campus, which could affect his future eligibility.” How and to what extent his eligibility could be affected is unclear.
And, of course, the “housing arrangement” Rosetta spoke of should ring a semi-familiar bell as LSU was officially sanctioned by the NCAA last week for, among other things, a prospective recruit -- Akiem Hicks -- receiving impermissible lodging in 2009.
In their online story on Shepard, the website notes that this apparent situation has nothing to do with Willie Lyles.
LSU announced Wednesday that Shepard, who had originally been scheduled to be one of the three Tiger players to appear at the SEC media days, would not attend due to personal problems and would be replaced by offensive lineman T-Bob Hebert. During his time in front of the media Friday, Les Miles was asked two questions about Shepard’s absence and, as expected, the head coach hauled grass away from the line of questioning.
“There was some things Russell had to care of back in Baton Rouge,” Miles said when asked the first time about the receiver.
The second question dealt with the rumored compliance issue, but yet again Miles would not bite.
“I don’t know exactly the specifics of that [report]. The only thing I can tell you is that this was an issue where there were some things he had to handle in his personal life that needed an immediate resolution. So, that’s why he’s not with us.”