GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Two different situations, and maybe a coincidence, but LSU coach Brian Kelly made it clear that he has visited injured freshman quarterback Colin Hurley at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, and stayed in contact with his family after Hurley’s single-vehicle crash into a tree last month near LSU.
Whereas, Kelly should have spoken to and visited former safety Greg Brooks Jr. more, according to Brooks’ father, from the fall of 2023 until August of 2024 when Brooks sued LSU and Our Lady of the Lake hospital. The lawsuit details alleged negligent care by LSU before an alleged botched, emergency brain tumor extraction surgery at the Lake on Sept. 15, 2024, that has left Brooks cancer free, but disabled.
BRIAN KELLY CALLS GREG BROOKS SR.’S COMMENTS “FACTUALLY INCORRECT”
During a press conference on Wednesday, Kelly twice said he spoke with Hurley’s father recently. Hurley suffered a large gash on the right side of his face and was non-responsive after speeding at approximately 3 a.m. and crashing into a tree near the LSU campus on Jan. 16.
Hurley, 17, was rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital after police found his “blood flowing on the center console” and Hurley’s “eyes were rolled back in his head,” according to a crash report obtained by Tiger Rag. Hurley has since returned to his parents’ home in Jacksonville, Florida.
LSU QUARTERBACK COLIN HURLEY EXPECTED TO MAKE FULL REVOVERY
“As you know, we’ve left – because of his age – a lot of that up to the family,” Kelly said when asked about Hurley’s condition. “I’ve been there to see him on multiple occasions. Progress is real. He is back in Jacksonville. And reports, and talking to his dad yesterday, were really positive. So, again, this is another scenario where there’s a recovery process here for him. But I think everybody’s optimistic.”
Kelly was not sure if Hurley would be available for spring practice that starts on March 8 and runs through the spring game on April 12.
“It’s a day-to-day situation,” he said. “In talking to his dad, Charlie, there’s really good progress. We’re hoping for the best, but don’t have any certain timetable as to when he might be back.”
Hurley (6-foot-1, 213 pounds) signed in LSU’s 2024 class as the No. 22 quarterback in the country and No. 42 prospect in Florida. He did not play in the 2024 season, but was expected to contend for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Garrett Nussmeier at LSU this spring with Michael Van Buren (6-1, 200), a recent transfer from Mississippi State who started eight games last season as a freshman.
“Obviously, Colin (his questionable status) puts us in a different situation,” Kelly said. “He was healthy at the time when we went through the portal. We hope that he will be able to join us later, but Michael (Van Buren) is a young man that has SEC experience. And we wanted that in our room. I think we all know that at some time, the No. 2 quarterback may have to be called upon. And if he does, we feel like we’ve got in Colin and certainly with Michael, two guys that can go in and continue to compete for a championship.”
Kelly did recently add walk-on quarterback Emile Picarella from University High on the LSU campus. He is the No. 74 quarterback in the country and No. 40 overall prospect in Louisiana, according to 247sports.com. Picarella (6-1, 210) had been offered scholarships by Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Marshall, Houston and Arkansas State.
COLIN HURLEY’S LEGAL ISSUES AFTER CRASH
Hurley may have legal issues to be solved before he can play at LSU.
The crash report obtained by Tiger Rag from LSU does not indicate that Hurley was tested for driving while intoxicated, which is routine. But the fact that emergency personnel had to extract the non-responsive Hurley from the vehicle and take him by ambulance to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital may have taken priority.
“I did not detect any odor of of unknown alcoholic beverage on his person or in the vehicle (a recent model red Dodge Charger),” the police officer on the scene says in the crash report narrative. “While inventorying the vehicle, I did not observe any alcoholic beverages or narcotics that would indicate driver was intoxicated or under the influence before the incident occurred.”
The narrative does not say that Hurley possibly could have gotten intoxicated outside of the car at a bar, which in Baton Rouge close at 2 a.m., or at someone’s residence.
Hurley was driving recklessly, according to surveillance camera footage.
“At approximately 0237 hours (2:37 a.m.), vehicle was traveling northbound on Highland, crossing the intersection with West Parker Boulevard at a high rate of speed,” the narrative said. “It is important to note that I observed continuous bright red lights from vehicle, indicating that the vehicle activated its brakes prior to entering the intersection of Highland Road and South Quad Drive.”
The Automatic Emergency Braking system in Dodge Chargers applies brakes if the driver does not do so quick enough, possibly indicating that Hurley was asleep at the wheel.
“I noticed fresh tire marks on the right side of the roadway,” the narrative said. “This suggests that vehicle veered off the road and struck the tree. The tree bark did not appear to have suffered any major damage. The vehicle appeared to be disabled due to the crash, which caused the front frame and hood to bend toward the passenger side. Most of the components in the engine seemed damaged as a result of the incident.”
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