Fournette in national spotlight

Published 8:24 am Thursday, October 15, 2015

Make no mistake about it, LSU head coach Les Miles is ready to shut down Leonard Fournette on a minute’s notice.

“I can very comfortably be the bad guy there,” Miles said on Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference coaches’ teleconference.

But not to worry.

Fournette will be in the Tigers’ backfield when LSU (5-0, 3-0 SEC) hosts Florida (6-0, 4-0) Saturday night in a battle of top-10 teams.

Miles isn’t crazy.

But he said he’d have no qualms, if needed, about shutting down media and other outside access to Fournette as the demands grow on the Heisman Trophy front-runner’s time.

“I’ve told him on numerous occasions, all he has to do is tell me it’s not fun any more, it’s too hard, and I’m the bad guy,” Miles said.” I will step in and stop the media and give him as much room as he could possibly need.”

So far it doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Fournette has been nothing but engaging and patient with the inquiring media and adoring fans alike this hectic season.

The interest and demands have grown seemingly each week as he became the first SEC back to notch three consecutive 200-yard games, then the first NCAA back in 15 years to reach 2,000 yards in five games.

Though way too early, it’s moved him to the front of most Heisman watch lists and in recent weeks virtually every national sports media outlet has dispatched correspondents to get a word with him. This week he’s on the cover of Sports Illustrated. There’s also been a rap song written about him.

He certainly says all the right things — some reporters are even growing weary of hearing him constantly deflecting the credit to his offensive line. Given the game ball following the Auburn game, he presented it to his blocking fullback, J.D. Moore.

He has trouble walking across campus without be stopped to be in somebody’s “selfie,” but all accounts seems to enjoy it.

If that ever changes, Miles will change the surroundings.

“Some more players in the past — I can think of really great, great players here — that had to study, had to go to an academic appointment, and just did not have time for media,” Miles said. “I understand that. They’re college students. They’re supposed to have fun going to college and being young, and experience college in a unique way.

“If that ever changes, all Leonard has to say is ‘Coach,’ and I promise you I am very comfortably the bad guy there.”

Of course Fournette, though only a 19-year-old sophomore, is no stranger to the spotlight.

He was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country coming out of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, with his career closely followed since he was barely a teenager. 

He got off to a bit of a rocky start as a freshman when he punctuated his first college touchdown, a fairly mundane 4-yard run against Sam Houston State, with the familiar Heisman pose.

That got earned him a tongue-lashing from Miles, and he later apologized for the youthful indiscretion. Since then he’s been mature beyond his years.

“I’m not a big-headed jock,” he said this week.

No one was cheering harder last week for backup running back Derrius Guice as the freshman passed Fournette as the Tigers’ leading rusher (161-158) against South Carolina.

Fournette was the first to encourage and console another freshman running back, Nick Brossette, when he came to the sidelines after fumbling away his first career carry on Saturday.

“Leonard is quite a leader,” Miles said. “He’s a guy that takes those young players under hand and says, ‘Hey, relax, you’ll be fine.’”

Florida on Saturday night should be Fournette’s biggest challenge yet. 

The No. 8-ranked Gators are No. 2 in the SEC in rushing defense(99.2 ypg) and No. 2 in scoring defense (14.3 ppg).

But Florida is also the team that hosted Fournette’s big breakout game last year as a true freshman.

In a back-and-forth game, which LSU won 30-27, he rushed for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a memorable pile-drive through an unsuspecting Gators defensive back en route to the end zone.

“They’re a big, quick defense,” Fournette said.

So far, so good.