In trying to relate to his star linebacker, Brian Kelly gets a brutal reminder how young today's players are
A true freshman has never won the Heisman Trophy, a linebacker has never won the Heisman Trophy, but true freshman linebacker Harold Perkins had the type of performance on Saturday that, in a just world, might change both of those statements.
Perkins all but won No. 7 LSU's 13-10 decision over Arkansas by himself, recording eight tackles, a school-record four sacks, and two forced fumbles. This, coming off an 8-tackle, 1-sack performance in the Tigers' mammoth win over Alabama a week ago underscores the fact that, while he won't win the Heisman, he might just be the very best player in college football at this moment.
Perkins's performance was even more impressive considering he got sick just before the game.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly revealed that after the game, saying, "He threw up as we were going into our team meeting."
The 61-year-old coach then attempted to relate to his 18-year-old star player and, instead, got a brutal reminder of the 43-year age gap between the two.
"I said, 'Hey, you know, MJ threw up when he had his greatest game,'" Kelly said.
"[Perkins] said, 'Who's MJ?'"
Perkins was born in 2004, a year after Michael Jordan finished his career with the Washington Wizards. That would make Perkins approximately negative-7 years old when Jordan played his infamous flu game, scoring 38 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to victory in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
Jordan revealed in The Last Dance that what was reported as the flu at the time was actually food poisoning. But unless Perkins watched that docu-series, and Kelly's story makes it clear he didn't, his career is ancient history to him -- and to every other player and recruit today.
