Just ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft, first-round hopeful Laremy Tunsil got some news he probably did not welcome. His stepfather is once again suing him, this time for “emotional distress.”
According to Yahoo Sports, Tunsil’s stepfather, Lindsey Miller, is suing the Ole Miss offensive tackle for “intentional infliction of emotional distress” stemming from an altercation the pair allegedly had in June of last year. Miller alleges that Tunsil attacked him and defamed his character during this incident.
When asked about the lawsuit, Tunsil told reporters, “I don’t know anything about it.”
This is far from the first time Tunsil’s stepfather has tried to take the player to court over the pair’s troubled familial relationship. The two were mixing it up in court last August, too, suing each other over domestic battery charges. Both dropped their suits.
According to The Clarion-Ledger, Miller alleges that the earlier fight was started when Miller got upset while trying to warn the would-be NFL player about greedy sports agents. Miller claims Tunsil launched an “violent attack” attack on him “without legal justification.”
“Defendant Tunsil pushed Mr. Miller against the wall in the hallway, causing him to fall,” Miller’s lawsuit claims. “The disabled Navy combat veteran was simply unable to protect himself from the unprovoked assault by the six-foot-five-inch, 305-pound, powerfully-strong offensive tackle.”
Miller goes on to say that Tunsil defamed him by giving his coaches the false story the it was Miller who did the attacking and in turn the coaches repeated the story doing Miller’s reputation harm.
“Defendant Tunsil’s malicious statements, as repeated by Coach Freeze and others, caused irreparable damage to Mr. Miller’s reputation, the nature and scope of which will be determined at trial,” the lawsuit reads.
Who ever attacked first — if any one attacked at all — there is some evidence that the player might be too easily swayed by temptations of high-end sports. Last year Tunsil served a seven-game suspension levied by the NCAA for improperly accepting benefits including luxury cars, free hotel stays, and a $3,000, interest-free loan as a down payment on a vehicle.
Still, the Ole Miss player is expected to be among the top five picks in the upcoming NFL draft. In fact, some feel he may hear the commissioner call his name within the first half hour of the player selection meeting. The NFL Draft takes place on April 28, 29, and 30 in Chicago.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com