The recent fight between Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and LSU over the reissue of his number began with a demand that the school stop using his name, image and likeness. It reportedly included a request for the school to return a statue designed in Ed Smith’s likeness. Via Matt Moscana of LouisianaSports.net, Daniels’ representatives have asked LSU to return his copy of the Heisman Trophy that Daniels won while playing for the Tigers in 2023. LSU, according to the report, has no intention of doing so. If the report is accurate, it shows how ugly and petty this dispute has become. And while the Daniels camp (in the opinion of many, if not most, if not virtually all) has played poorly, the entire problem stems from conflicting promises made by the program under the auspices of former coach Brian Kelly. LSU promised Daniels it would never use his number again. LSU promised cornerback DJ Pickett he would wear No. 5 if he committed to the school. Then Kelly simply didn’t give Pickett the number, breaking the show’s promise to Pickett. After Kelly was fired, new coach Lane Kiffin decided to honor the previous promise made to Pickett and break the promise made to Daniels. Even if giving Pickett the number was a specific term of Pickett’s decision to stay at LSU, giving him what he wanted meant breaking his promise to Daniels. That’s why football teams shouldn’t retire numbers. Especially college programs shouldn’t do it. They want the best players they can get. If a given player insists on a retired number, the school has to choose between honoring the past and prioritizing the future. (And yes, if Pickett had insisted on wearing No. 9, Joe Burrow is the player whose earlier promise would have been ignored.) Still, it all started with Kelly. Whether he specifically made or authorized the initial promise to Daniels and/or the contradictory promise to Pickett, Kelly and/or his staff made a promise to Daniels and a subsequent, contradictory promise to Pickett. Last year, the promise made to Pickett was not kept. This year, the promise made to Daniels has been broken. The only good news for the school is that Daniels’ overreaction has made him a prime target for public ridicule and scorn. But this whole mess goes back directly to Brian Kelly and his decision to authorize or allow any means necessary for Pickett to play for LSU.
