Fansided

Les Miles tried to call Roger Goodell to vouch for La’el Collins

By Charles Rahrig V

Dec 30, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Music City Bowl at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Music City Bowl at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

LSU coach Les Miles tried to call NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to vouch for letting La’el Collins enter the supplemental draft but couldn’t get through.

As La’el Collins continued to fall in the NFL Draft, his agent tried to do everything from getting Collins pulled from the draft to reenter next year to getting him in the supplemental draft.

More from Dallas Cowboys

Unfortunately all those attempts were futile as league rules would not allow it and Collins instead signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he will be able to regain value in two years with a new contract.

While the young man was being questioned, but not as a suspect in the investigation of a murder of a former girlfriend, he had many supporters who were on his side trying to help out.

One of those trying to help was his former coach at LSU, Les Miles.

Miles went even as far to try and call NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to vouch for Collins being placed in the supplemental draft instead.

Miles speaking to The Times-Picayune, said he couldn’t even reach the commissioner.

"“I called him and I was told it’s damn near impossible for me to get through,” Miles said. “Why wouldn’t that [supplemental draft] be what it’s for. Explain to me why that’s not perfect for this [situation]. Some guys would have passed and some said yeah. He [Collins] would have gotten his spot. This is a guy who is still going to make money, long term. I’d like to see an adjustment made now.”"

By rule a player cannot remove himself from the NFL Draft and then be placed in the supplemental draft.

Les Miles standing up for his former player and believes Collins should have been put in the supplemental draft and gotten the chance to be paid his value.

"“He could have been put in a supplemental draft and paid his market value,” Miles said. “What I’d like to see is a guy who’s really performed well for our team, given us great leadership, continued to raise his level headed toward draft day, be given just and fair market value.”"

Coming out of the draft the main consensus is that Collins did indeed get hosed out of a lot of money. The fact he wasn’t a suspect and rather just answering questions, shows that there was a lot of knee-jerk reactions to the whole ordeal.

While NFL teams have to be able to protect themselves before investing a high pick in a player, this was a case of poor timing for Collins.

The good news is that as an undrafted free agent with the Cowboys, he will have a chance to prove himself right away and earn a new deal in just two years instead of having to wait three like all draft picks would have to.

It’s even better to see a coach standing up for his former player and going to bat for him even after he’s gone.

[H/T: Times-Picayune, ProFootballTalk]

More from FanSided

Home/Dallas Cowboys