LSU coach Ed Orgeron said he would not comment on the arrest of wide receiver Drake Davis, who is accused of repeatedly beating an ex-girlfriend.
Orgeron said only that it was “a legal matter” and affirmed that the junior is suspended indefinitely from the team. Pressed for more information, Orgeron declined to answer any follow-ups relating to when the staff learned of the allegations or Davis’ future with the program.
News of Davis’ arrest began to circulate around Baton Rouge on Saturday morning after he was booked and charged with second-degree battery on Friday night. According to the arrest report, Davis is accused of beating or strangling his former girlfriend on four separate occasions.
Here’s a transcription of the three questions Orgeron was asked directly about the Davis situation and his responses. The first two were asked as soon as the coach opened the floor for questions with the third coming a few minutes later.
Reporter: Before Friday, did any of your coaching staff know about the incidents with Drake Davis?
Orgeron: Drake Davis is a legal matter, and I won’t make any other comments on that.
Reporter: I know you guys said he’s suspended indefinitely. Will he remain on the team?
Orgeron: Drake Davis is suspended indefinitely. Drake Davis is a legal matter, and I won’t make any other comments.
…
Reporter: Respectfully, why is it something that you won’t comment on with the legal matter? They’re some serious allegations.
Orgeron: Next question.
The coach did provide an answer when asked a more general question about the treatment of women and how he’d like his players to behave.
“Do the right thing. It’s always about doing the right thing,” Orgeron said. “It’s always about protecting the team. I think our administration does a great job of educating our guys on the dos and don’ts. We bring several speakers. We have several seminars for our football team throughout the year.”
Davis is the third Tiger to be suspended indefinitely since the start of fall camp, which concluded Saturday with a scrimmage at Tiger Stadium.
Offensive lineman Ed Ingram was suspended before the first practice. Orgeron also declined to provide any update on his status Saturday, calling it “a legal matter.” He previously characterized the suspension as stemming from a violation of university policy.
Linebacker Tyler Taylor was suspended last week once an offseason arrest came to light. Taylor is accused of serving as the getaway driver in the robbery of a pawn shop.
Orgeron did say that LSU held a players-only meeting on Wednesday night and credited his team for “blocking out the noise” through what has been a chaotic camp, though he didn’t specifically link the meeting’s purpose with any of the pending legal matters. He added that LSU also selected its “leadership committee” on Wednesday.
“I think in camp stuff happens. Every camp,” Orgeron said. “Instead of having a players-only meeting after you lose a game, we identified some things that we need to get better at. The leadership committee wanted to talk to the team. They had a couple of things they wanted to take care of.”
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