Former LSU QB Jordan Jefferson jailed indefinitely

• Former LSU quarterback was jailed for the third time over the last 14 months
• Jefferson was arrested last Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession
• He had been out on bond from an August 2011 misdemeanor charge of simple battery

BATON ROUGE — With the anniversary of perhaps his greatest moment as an LSU football player just days away, former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson finds himself in jail today and possibly for several days and weeks.

Jefferson became one of the heroes of one of LSU's greatest regular season victories in history last season when he came off the bench for a struggling Jarrett Lee and helped lead the No. 1 Tigers to a 9-6 overtime victory at No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5.

No. 1 Alabama plays at No. 5 LSU at 7 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium on CBS.

On Tuesday afternoon, Jefferson was placed in the East Baton Rouge Parish jail for the third time over the last 14 months.

District judge Chip Moore ordered Jefferson to jail for violating the terms of his bond from a previous arrest.

While out on bond from a misdemeanor charge of simple battery for his role in a Aug. 19, 2011, melee outside a bar near the LSU campus, Jefferson was arrested last Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession near the LSU campus and spent the night in jail before being released on $500 bond.

Moore regularly sends those arrested while out on bond for a previous arrest directly to jail, Jefferson's attorney Lance Unglesby said Tuesday. Moore also ordered Jefferson to undergo a drug evaluation after which Jefferson will appear before Moore again and may be released from jail depending on the results of the evaluation.

"He could be released or could be in jail until his court date for the simple battery," Unglesby said.

That court date could be set today, said Unglesby, who expects that date not to be until early next year.

"We expected this," Unglesby said. "Jordan does not feel that he is above the process. This is the same process that judge Moore universally applies to everyone. Jordan is a humble, fine young man and is looking forward to putting all of this behind him."

Jefferson, who went to Destrehan High outside New Orleans, finished his four-year career at LSU last season. After the Alabama game, he started the remaining five games of the season. The Tigers were 4-1 over that span with the only loss to Alabama in the BCS national championship game. After being cut following a brief NFL tryout with Tampa Bay last spring, Jefferson made the practice squad of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He recorded no statistics.

Unglesby said Jefferson did not have any marijuana on him when he was arrested on Oct. 25 with three other former LSU football players, including Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu, in Mathieu's apartment.

"When the evidence is untangled, it will be apparent that Jordan Jefferson was not in possession of marijuana," Unglesby said.

OPTION NOT AN OPTION?

LSU's offense was successful at sustaining drives in its 9-6 win over Alabama last regular season because quarterback Jordan Jefferson gained 43 yards on 11 carries while usually running the read option. Jefferson's runs tended to stretch and thus loosen up Alabama's defense and also had an impact on tailback Michael Ford leading the team in rushing with 72 yards on 11 carries.

Most of Ford's runs were outside, option pitches from Jefferson. Ford set up LSU's game-winning field goal in overtime with a 15-yard scamper around left end off a Jefferson pitch. LSU does not run the option with new quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who is a drop-back pocket passer and does not run well.

"We're playing a defense that doesn't really have to worry about option," LSU coach Les Miles said of Saturday's game against Alabama, which leads the nation in defense. "So what we're going to intend to do is stretch them vertically and horizontally with the passing game and let them be responsible for their assignments that way rather than the option.

"We're really going to throw the football better. The opportunity to throw the football is something that we're going to have to do to defeat press coverage. We're going to have to defeat the quality zone coverage and the zone drops and get open."

LSU does have a backup quarterback with option experience. Junior Rob Bolden transferred to LSU last August from Penn State but has not played this season. In a 27-11 loss to Alabama at Penn State last season, Bolden rushed four times for 25 yards and scored on a two-point conversion run. He completed 11 of 29 passes for 144 yards with an interception. In the 2010 and '11 seasons at Penn State, Bolden started 16 games, including two against Alabama.

"Certainly, he's a guy who's taken big time snaps in big time games," Miles said last August. "He'll be a nice addition. He's played in big games. He's walked onto the field in loud stadiums."

Glenn Guilbeau writes for Gannett Louisana