The NFL Draft is supposed to be a night which prospects can remember for the rest of their lives. For Laremy Tunsil, it’s been memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Before Tunsil was set to become a likely top-five pick, a video surfaced on his Twitter account of what appeared to be him smoking weed out of a gas mask. The video took social media by storm and was broadcasted by ESPN and NFL Network as Tunsil continued to slide down the draft. While that’s enough to cause a terrible night, it wasn’t the last social media incident to occur.
Somebody hacked Tunsil’s Instagram account and posted an alleged conversation between him and Ole Miss assistant coach John Miller. In the post, Tunsil asks Miller for money to pay his rent and his mom’s bills.
And now this? Unreal. pic.twitter.com/9B7lPXIoVi
— Sydney Hunte (@sydh) April 29, 2016
Tunsil’s Instagram was later deleted.
While you’d think Tunsil would deny that the conversation ever took place, he admitted, in fact, they did, saying he took money from his former coach.
Tunsil just denied an exchange of money between him and his coach. Then, asked again, said it happened. Then interrupted, ushered off stage.
— Joan Niesen (@JoanNiesen) April 29, 2016
Laremy Tunsil asked if he took money from a coach. "I'd have to say yeah."
— Hugh Kellenberger (@KellenbergerGLF) April 29, 2016
Deadspin has captured audio from ESPN Radio, where Tunsil finds out live on-air his accounts were hacked. He tells them he hadn’t yet heard of the hack and said he had “no control” over his social media.
Tunsil fell all the way to the 13th pick by the Miami Dolphins and likely lost serious money from all these hacks. It also may have serious repercussions if Ole Miss and Miller are found to have given Tunsil extra benefits.
There’s going to be much more to this story when it’s fully sorted out.