Leonard Fournette was supposed to be out of action on Saturday against the Florida Gators, but after getting into a pre-game altercation, Fournette declared himself good to go.
The no. 16 LSU Tigers were hosting the Florida Gators, when for reasons still unclear, an altercation broke out between players and coaching staff. It appears Fournette shoved an opposing Gators coach in the kerfuffle.
Fight breaks out between #LSU-Florida players.
Leonard Fournette and a Florida assistant coach shove each other. pic.twitter.com/wFZwyW1nU7
— Joshua Thornton (@JoshuaThornton_) November 19, 2016
Fournette declared himself healthy following the altercation. But, the big question remains, why? Was he healthy enough to play but chose not to until getting into the fight? Did LSU hold him back for no reason? It’s hard to see why Fournette could suddenly declare himself available if he was actually hurt – especially in a ranked matchup.
Leonard Fournette enters…in pads#LSU pic.twitter.com/BQiCWO9rXe
— James Bewers (@JamesBewers) November 19, 2016
The 21-year-old Tigers running back put up stellar numbers in 2016 thus far, with 803 yards rushing (6.9 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns. You don’t sit an offensive weapon like Fournette if he’s good enough to play.
The miraculous recovery aside, Fournette is likely to face discipline for pushing the Gators coach. You just can’t do that. Regardless of how the altercation started, Fournette is going to miss some time due to the unnecessary push. Perhaps, he suited up because he wanted to play knowing a suspension was inevitable.