Dubois: Focus not on talent, but team

• By CARL DUBOIS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 3, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.—After we learned in February of Les Miles’ third suspension of Ryan Perrilloux, columns near and far called for Miles to boot Perrilloux for good.

The number of LSU fans who were ready for Miles to drop the hammer was at an all-time high. It seemed like batting a piñata without a blindfold on to take that tailor-made side of the issue.

So I didn’t. Instead, fueled by years of conversations with those who know Perrilloux well — and with Miles on the complicated subject of team and player discipline — my goal was to provide some insight into why this was such a hard case for Miles and LSU.

The first paragraph of my column from February:

The race has seemingly always been whether Les Miles could find the breaking point for Ryan Perrilloux before Miles reached his own with LSU’s talented but wayward quarterback.

I described Perrilloux as unbreakable, saying he has a remarkable reset button.

A bullet that came close to his heart when he was 14 didn’t stop him. A blown-out knee a few months later barely slowed him.

He’s had other injuries. He’s had punishments. He’s had public disapproval.

He has run again and again under Miles’ orders, the type of early-morning, nausea-inducing stadium running that usually wins young hearts and minds.

And Miles, his few public statements to the contrary, knew his central issue with Perrilloux was how to break someone who feels like Superman.

When some suggested Perrilloux wasn’t receiving enough punishment, Miles took exception. He said it’s a serious punishment to be removed from the team for any period of time, unable to work out with teammates and be with them during official offseason activities.

That seemed like a reach, and it was, though heartfelt, I’m certain.

Miles, we learned during the Miles-to-Michigan talk last year, had what passed for a wild side long ago when Miles was coming of age at Michigan under Bo Schembechler.