BATON ROUGE - In news that cast a further pall over LSU’s suddenly shaky quarterback situation, heralded freshman backup Ryan Perrilloux has surfaced as a person of interest to federal investigators in New Orleans.
As word of Perrilloux’s legal troubles seeped out before junior JaMarcus Russell, the Tigers’ starting quarterback, confirmed he would enter the NFL draft, rumors flew wildly around Baton Rouge. Federal and school officials cautioned, however, that Perrilloux, who arrived on campus two years ago as one of the nation’s most sought after recruits, has not been accused of any crime and has not been arrested.
Perrilloux could not be reached but has retained an attorney, Nathan Fisher, who declined to comment on any aspect of the case.
Said Coach Les Miles: “I do not know if he’s in any trouble whatsoever.”
It was unclear when Miles and Perrilloux last spoke.
Miles’ remarks came at the end of a press conference for Russell, and when the question about Perrilloux’s status surfaced, sports information director Michael Bonnette closed the proceeding.
Privately, however, school officials strove to tamp down rumors that Perrilloux had been kicked off the team or that his presence with the Tigers had become an unwelcome distraction.
“Absolutely not. That would mean LSU had one quarterback on scholarship,” one said, when asked if the school was looking to sever its relationship with Perrilloux.
After Russell formally announced his anticipated departure, Miles said no decision had been made on who might start next season, Perrilloux or junior Matt Flynn, who has been Russell’s backup the past two seasons. Flynn has an edge in experience, Miles said, but competition during spring practice probably would determine the next starter.
The federal investigation reportedly centers on an alleged counterfeiting ring, according to several sources, but Perrilloux’s name has not been listed in any federal court papers. His coach at East St. John High School, Larry Dauterive, said his former star was questioned by federal agents for more than two hours after last week’s Allstate Sugar Bowl. LSU routed Notre Dame 41-14 at the Superdome.
Perrilloux, who was excused from practice one day at the end of December because of the death of his grandmother, did not play against the Fighting Irish.
From a phone conversation Dauterive had with Miles earlier this week when both coaches were in San Antonio for a high school all-star game, Dauterive said it was his understanding Perrilloux had been cleared of direct participation in any criminal enterprise.
“(Miles) said that if (Perrilloux) had been implicated in any way, he’d be gone, but that he was satisfied (Perrilloux) was not,” Dauterive said.
Perrilloux’s mother, Bobbie Breaux, echoed that position, implying her son might have been mixed up in other people’s trouble.
“It doesn’t surprise me, it really doesn’t,” she said. “People can say anything they want about you. Ryan is a well-known person, and if he’s around any kind of trouble, people are going to assume it’s him.
Federal authorities, speaking on background, said it did not appear Perrilloux was a serious target of an investigation but noted it would take some time to unravel the situation. Rumors of Perrilloux’s imminent arrest also are false, they said.
Breaux said she couldn’t understand how such a firestorm erupted so quickly, but said in the end, her son would not emerge as a bad guy.
“I really can’t say where it’s coming from,” she said. “It’s just rumors, that’s all they are. If he was in any kind of trouble, I wouldn’t be at work right now. I’d be home taking care of it.”
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