When it comes to college football players, it seems no good can come from going to a bar. Such is the case today for LSU defensive tackle Trey Lealaimatafao, who was arrested today for simple battery and simple robbery after fighting in the parking lot of a bar in Baton Rouge. LSU has indefinitely suspended Lealaimatafao as a result and will allow the legal process to play out before making any further decisions regarding his status. This is his third off-the-field incident and second arrest in a year.
According to The Advocate, Lealaimatafao beat another man unconscious and followed that by beating the male victim’s girlfriend. The report says he punched the woman with a closed fist in the parking lot of Reggie’s Bar, which if you recall is the same locale that was the scene of the Jeremy Hill incident from last summer. Maybe LSU players should just stop going there? After beating the male victim, Lealaimatafao allegedly proceeded to pick the victim’s pockets and left the scene of the fight as police were arriving. He currently remains in jail on a $15,000 bond.
Last July, Lealaimatafao was arrested for allegedly stealing a bicycle from an on-campus library. That happened just one day after being released from a hospital after receiving treatment for his arm, which he injured after punching through a weight-room window. Following this latest legal situation, Lealaimatafao’s future at LSU is very much to be considered up in the air.
How LSU addresses this will also be under a microscope. With prior infractions, Lealaimatafao has no margin for error. If the legal system makes him pay, LSU could follow with a dismissal. However, Les Miles has been known to leave a decision like this up to the team, and that does not always go over very well in the eyes of the public. If punished by the law, and dismissed by LSU, Lealaimatafao will not have another SEC school to land given the conference’s focus on not allowing transfers with players with violent criminal backgrounds.