Even Opponents Praise Fournette ... A look back at the WSJ, Nov 4

Leonard Fournette Hears Compliments After Big Plays—Not Trash Talk

The LSU running back and current Heisman favorite is so good, opponents can’t resist telling him so



Some interesting excerpts

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Some have praised his rare speed. Others have commended his nimble footwork. One particularly effusive adversary even congratulated him for eluding a tackle on a key third down. “That was kind of surprising to hear,” Fournette said.

Even the brashest defenses have started to sugarcoat their words when they come face to face with the LSU tailback, whose Tigers face Alabama Saturday. In a critical SEC game against Florida last month, the Gators defenders didn’t completely cut out the smack-talk around Fournette. They just directed their taunts toward his teammates instead.

“They’d say I’m good, but my offensive line is trash, or imagine what you could do with a real quarterback. It was some real dirty things,” he said.

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Fournette says he was shocked to hear defenders telling him how much they wished he had come to their school instead of staying close to home by choosing LSU.

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Later that season, he says, he heard the same thing in a game against Ole Miss. Then he heard it again against arch-rival Alabama. “He made me miss on one [tackle] so afterward I told him: ‘You should be up [in Tuscaloosa] helping us to win championships,’” said former Alabama safety Landon Collins.

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Talking up Fournette while running down his teammates isn’t a good idea, either. Fournette says comments that glorify him at the expense of his blockers send him into a frenzy

“They’re fighting on every single play to protect me and to give me an opportunity to make plays,” Fournette said. “[If] you talk bad about those guys, that’s going to get me really charged up

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Whoops lol. Think I heard Wise shite talking some OL

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Fournette also has made it abundantly clear that even the mildest criticisms can send him over the edge.

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Uh oh. Hope he doesn't read this board or see the sig many LSU fans are forced to wear

So I think it's pretty clear that what people say gets to this kid. Maybe all the shite talking our DL did while partying in the LSU backfield was supposed to fire BUGA PAIN TRAIN up, but all it did was pump up the Arkansas D. Further I am willing to bet the chatting on the field has been a little less respectful the last few weeks. No player wants to be caught congratulating a mediocre back.

I expect the WSJ to publish a full retraction of this garbage any day