Former LSU cornerback Tharold Simon was expected to be taken somewhere in the middle rounds of the 2013 NFL Draft, but an unexpected event may have caused his stock to take a nosedive. According to KATC-TV, Simon was arrested on Thursday night in Eunice, Louisiana for allegedly intimidating a police officer.
Police said Simon’s car was blocking a street when an officer asked him to move it. This apparently upset the 22-year-old, who reportedly proceeded to tell the officer that he owns the town.
“I own Eunice,” Simon said. “I’m gonna buy these projects and you are gonna be mine.”
The report said Simon finally moved his vehicle, but that he turned the radio all the way up and spun his tires as he backed up. He also allegedly told the officer that “the mayor is on (his) side” and that he would be fired if he wrote him a ticket. Instead of being given a ticket, Simon was arrested and charged with public intimidation, resisting an officer and an unnecessary noise violation.
To make matters even more interesting, KATC-TV reported that Eunice was scheduled to make Friday “Tharold Simon Day” to honor the Eunice High School graduate. Eunice Mayor Rusty Moody said the ceremony would go on as planned.
“In the United States, our justice system says everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” Moody said.
Maybe the mayor is on his side. The US justice system may insist everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but there is no law stating that NFL teams have to abide by that policy. Having an arrest on his record — whether he deserved it or not — will likely be enough to make several teams rethink using a draft pick on Simon.
