LSU Coach Ed Orgeron Delivers Powerful Denial About Derrius Guice Rape Allegations
Ed Orgeron knows Derrius Guice better than most people. After all, he watched the talented running back become one of the biggest stars in college football during a terrific three-year career at LSU. However, Guice’s dominance on the field did little to sway NFL teams who had major character concerns about him heading into the 2018 NFL draft.
Ultimately, those concerns reared their ugly head recently with the Washington Football Team cutting Guice after he got arrested on multiple charges related to domestic violence incidents. The narrative intensified recently with allegations that Guice raped two students while he attended LSU. However, even after his name got attached to the story, Ed Orgeron delivered a powerful denial about having knowledge of the situation.
Derrius Guice’s journey from LSU to the NFL
LSU has produced a number of star running backs over the years. While Leonard Fournette captured national attention for three years, Derrius Guice turned plenty of heads with his violent running style. The Louisiana native flashed dynamic ability as a sophomore filling in for an injured Fournette. Guice put together a rock-solid junior season in which he ran for 1,251 yards and 11 touchdowns.
By the time he entered the 2018 NFL draft, Ed Orgeron’s former tailback had totaled more than 3,000 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns for the Tigers. Given his raw physical talent and production, Guice should have gone in the first round. Yet, teams had concerns about his character and he fell all the way to the 59th pick.
Washington appeared to score a major steal. Yet, injuries and legal troubles ended Guice’s career before it really began.
The 2018 second-round pick tore his ACL in the first preseason game of his rookie season. Last year, he suffered a torn meniscus that landed him on injured reserve in September. Seeking a fresh start with Ron Rivera on board, Guice did not even complete his first training camp under his new head coach.
On August 7, Guice got arrested and charged with counts of strangulation, assault, battery, and destruction of property in relation to three domestic violence incidents. Washington released him that same day.
Guice allegedly raped two former LSU students
Less than two weeks after getting released by Washington, Derrius Guice found himself in hot water again. On August 19, USA Today published an investigative story that included allegations from two former LSU students that Guice raped them in 2016. Guice attended LSU from 2015-2017.
The women shared the allegations with multiple people at LSU, including coaches, an athletics administrator, and a nurse. However, USA Today’s investigation did not find evidence that the school conducted an investigation. Peter Greenspun, Guice’s attorney, issued a statement denying all allegations.
Ed Orgeron’s name also made its way into the story. According to the report, the first alleged victim was dating an LSU recruit at the time the alleged incident occurred. She told her boyfriend about the alleged assault.
However, the former LSU player told USA Today that Orgeron told him he shouldn’t be bothered by the incident because “everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people.”
The unnamed former player said he lost all respect for his head coach because he believed that Ed Orgeron knew the sexual encounter was not consensual.
Ed Orgeron delivers powerful denial of knowledge of the rape allegations
While Ed Orgeron commands widespread respect, the allegations that he had knowledge of the alleged rapes obviously threaten his reputation. A day after the USA Today story got published, the LSU head coach issued a statement on Twitter. In doing so, he delivered a powerful denial of any knowledge of the rape allegations against Derrius Guice.
“The anonymous quote attributed to me by a former player in USA Today is not accurate,” Orgeron wrote. “What I will say is that a player came into my office to discuss transferring from our program. We also discussed the player’s relationship challenges with his girlfriend. I told him what I would tell my own sons: ‘We all experience heartbreak growing up. Do not throw away a promising academic and football career at LSU because of a personal obstacle.'”
Orgeron ended his statement in succinct fashion.
“Any insinuation that I had knowledge of his girlfriend and Derrius Guice is completely false.”
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