The Montgomery Advertiser is today reporting that Alabama State transfer tailback Isaiah Crowell has not been made available to media since arriving on campus. And on advice from his attorney, that silence may hold for the rest of the season.

In the meantime, (Crowell attorney Steve Sadow) said, “I don’t want him talking to anybody. Every time he goes over 200 yards in a game, I’ll let him say ‘thank you’ to everybody. Beyond that, I’d advise him not to say anything.”

It’s hard to qualify ‘distractions’ in sports, but if there’s going to be one for a Hornets team that will be in contention for a SWAC football championship this year, it will be the silence of a running back facing felony gun charges.

Reggie Barlow has done a lot to change the culture at ASU, particularly in the face of NCAA sanctions at the outset of his tenure. Welcoming this kind of attention won’t be a good look for the other players who will have to face questions about Crowell throughout the season, and for the inevitable national coverage Crowell may invite if he burns up the SWAC as its best player and can’t offer any insight into his personal story.

Alabama State University Isaiah Crowell