How USC’s Isaiah Langley Suspension Compares to Alabama

News that cornerback Isaiah Langley has been suspended for the season-opening USC vs. Alabama game due to an arrest back in May couldn’t be more timely.

The news that cornerback Isaiah Langley has been suspended for the season opener due to an arrest back in May couldn’t be more timely.

Alabama held a commanding lead with three players arrested this offseason. Now, USC football has pulled one back on the Tide.

With criticism of Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s player discipline policies still fresh, Langley’s arrest and suspension have set a marker for comparison between Saban and USC head coach Clay Helton, as they both deal with unwanted offseason legal distractions.

Is it fair to compare the situations and punishments? Maybe, maybe not. But the links are inevitable talking points going into the most anticipated season opening game in recent memory.

So here’s the run down:

Alabama’s Cam Robinson and Lawrence “Hootie” Jones were arrested on May 17.

Robinson, perhaps the nation’s top offensive tackle, was charged with felony illegal possession of a stolen firearm, misdemeanor possession of a controlled dangerous substance and misdemeanor illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of narcotics.

Jones, a rotational safety, was charged with the latter two but not the more serious gun-related offense.

Both players were indefinitely suspended by Alabama.

Additionally, local news outlets reported that the two were undergoing team punishments including weekly drug tests, drug counseling, mental health consultations, gun safety and ownership education and community service. Robinson joined police for ride alongs while Jones participated in a drug treatment program.

Following an investigation, prosecutors in Louisiana dropped the charges.

While citing lack of evidence, the district attorney controversially indicated that leniency was in play, not wanting to “ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and teenage years, working and sweating, while we were all in the air conditioning.”

Adding to the controversy was Nick Saban’s revelation at SEC Media Days that it was unlikely either would be suspended for the opener against USC.

Exactly two months after Robinson and Jones were arrested, another Alabama player — Alphonse Taylor — was arrested for driving under the influence.

Like the others, Taylor, a preseason All-SEC selection at guard, was suspended indefinitely. However, he has not been explicitly suspended for any number of games, as of now.

USC’s Langley has.

The cornerback was actually arrested two weeks before Robinson and Jones, though reports of his legal troubles have only just surfaced.

Langley was asked to leave a fraternity party at UCLA, per the UCLA police department as reported by the LA Times.

SEE MORE: What Isaiah Langley’s Suspension Means for USC vs. Alabama

When he refused, police were called and the player resisted arrest. The incident resulted in three misdemeanor charges for trespassing, intoxication and resisting arrest.

Those charges are being diverted in favor of a program for first-time, nonviolent offenders, which will allow Langley to keep his criminal record clean.

His athletic record, however, will feature a gap on September 3rd, which is the date of USC’s season opener against Alabama — a game Langley was certain to participate in.

In all of this, there are four players who have gotten into trouble with the law this offseason.

Three of them play for the Tide, one for the Trojans. Two will be allowed to suit up Week 1 of the 2016 season, one will not, the other is in limbo.

It’s not simple, because it’s the classic debate over justice and mercy, played out with football coaches.

It would be easy to look at this from a black and white perspective. Alabama had players arrested, their charges were dropped, and they will likely be allowed to play. Meanwhile, USC had a player arrested, and though his charges were dropped, he will not be allowed to play.

Is this just a case of Saban being lenient because his All-American tackle found a loophole out of trouble while Helton did the honorable thing by suspending his player?

It’s really not that simple, because it’s the classic debate over justice and mercy, played out with football coaches.

Should Saban have suspended Robinson and Jones for the season opener?

If mercy rules, then no. There were legitimate questions surrounding the legality of the search.

Two other people in the car that night were not arrested — only the two Alabama football players were taken into custody. Evidence couldn’t link the players to the gun or the drugs.

It’s not unreasonable to give the players the benefit of the doubt — especially Robinson, a first-time offender.

On the other hand, justice has a case as well.

Regardless of what prosecutors were or weren’t able to prove, the players still failed in their responsibility to represent Alabama with pride. They were in a car at 3:00 a.m. with a stolen gun and illegal drugs.

Had he opted for it, Saban would have been well within his rights to suspend them for the first game in addition to the educational punishments he laid out.

The same applies to Helton and Langley.

Helton could have been more lenient with Langley, without sacrificing his values.

Mercy might have given Langley the benefit of the doubt, with cops called on him at a UCLA frat party, and minor charges that even prosecutors agreed warranted something more akin to community service, than legal action and a black mark on the player’s criminal record.

Langley could have been given a month and a half’s worth of punishment before the season opener, without denying him the chance to play in such an important game

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Instead Helton sided with justice, which would argue that Langley was underage and drunk at a party on a rival campus, then resisted arrest and only made his situation worse.

Langley failed in his responsibility to represent USC. He brought the suspension on himself and Helton was well within his rights to impose that harsh punishment.

Saban and Helton were faced with the similar situations and came to two different, but valid, conclusions.

From a USC perspective, the focus shouldn’t be on what Saban does or doesn’t choose to do with his players. It should be about how Helton represents the Trojans.

For now, that representation looks to be by the book.

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