LSU Tigers football players say they've learned from the mistakes of Shadygate

BATON ROUGE -- The last night of the LSU Tigers' fall football camp came and went without incident as Thursday slipped into Friday. The players had the day off after camp's second scrimmage in the stifling afternoon heat, finished by conditioning sprints. It was likely many players, despite the level of fatigue, stayed in bed a few minutes extra, long after the sun rose just to be sure.

lsu-tigers.jpgLSU Tigers Coach Les Miles said he talked to his players Thursday and was confident they would not break curfew at the end of fall camp.

LSU Coach Les Miles met with the players Thursday night. One of his many topics was that night's curfew. Even though camp was over, curfew was still in effect.

"I think our team will stay in," Miles said in his Thursday night address to the media. "I think they have added incentive. They don't need too much more than I've given them."

Today is the anniversary of Shadygate, the infamous barfight involving several LSU players that precipitated a six-week saga at the start of what, oddly enough, turned out to be a highly successful season for the Tigers. But it was on that final night of camp that it took place last August.

Approximately 20 players sneaked out as part of an end-of-camp tradition, with the next day off and the players moving into their own dwellings to prepare for the start of classes. A handful of the group became embroiled in a brawl in the parking lot of Shady's Lounge, an off-campus bar. The fight sent four people to area hospitals in the wee hours of that Friday morning.

Senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson and sophomore linebacker Josh Johns were arrested a week later and suspended for four games each. The charge of second degree battery against Johns was dismissed and the same charge was reduced to a misdemeanor against Jefferson, who was then reinstated and returned to claim his starting job.

'Everybody was disappointed'

Other than Tyrann Mathieu's recent dismissal because of multiple positive drug tests and a one-game suspension of Mathieu and two others last season, LSU players have minimized off-the-field news after learning from the incident.




"Disappointed" is an understatement. The incident made national news for nearly six weeks. Social media was flooded with hourly updates and rumors in all directions. The Baton Rouge Police Department was assailed from both sides for not making a timely arrest on one hand and for blowing a barfight out of proportion on the other.

The apartments of Jefferson and Johns were searched and DNA samples were taken while teammates were questioned. After the arrests of Jefferson and Johns, lawyers on both sides made their attempts at trying the case in the media.

The incident eventually had a galvanizing effect on the team. Jefferson returned and helped spark the Tigers to a victory against Alabama and regained his starting job before falling flat in the BCS championship game rematch with the Tide.

"It can happen fast," Dworaczyk said. "You can't just sit back. It doesn't matter if you are an elected leader or a young guy. It doesn't matter who's right or who's wrong at the end of the day. If the LSU Tigers are involved, we're going to be the bad guys and we know that. We have to separate ourselves."

Growing up

Miles "ran us to death," said Dworaczyk, and then put the ball in their hands. He had the players rewrite their rules of conduct and meet to discuss them. In team meetings that ensued, several of the young players spoke, including running back Michael Ford and defensive end Barkevious Mingo.

Defensive end Sam Montgomery said the team took a different approach to its self discipline and it grew into something palpable through the season. He believes it's something that will help the team recover from the loss of Mathieu, who was kicked off the team and is now in drug rehab in Houston.

"We had our bad times and adversity," Montgomery said. "We grew up from it. I saw it last year, a lot of boys became men. And now that men run this team, we show the younger guys how to do it. We're going to avoid trouble as much as possible, and we've done that since last season."

Senior wide receiver Russell Shepard said he noticed the attitude in camp this season was far more serious than last year, as it was during spring practice and summer workouts. The memory of Shadygate was burned into their brains and became part of their football DNA.

"We learned you have to take the approach of active leadership on the field or off the field," Shepard said. "The group of guys we have this year really understand that. Don't let it happen again, learn from your mistakes and move on.

Said Dworaczyk: "Camp has been a whole different attitude this year, no sneaking out.

"I think people have forgiven us just because it was a dumb mistake. They understand we're just college kids, but it was a mistake that won't happen again. Long after I'm gone, I hope the leadership remains to remember that night."