The player who broke the jaw of New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith on Tuesday is no stranger to physical confrontations.
Linebacker IK Enemkpali, who the Jets released after the incident Tuesday, was arrested and charged with battery of a police officer and disturbing the peace in April 2011 as a redshirt freshman at Louisiana Tech. Enemkpali punched an off-duty undercover officer, who was working security at a Ruston, La., restaurant/bar, during an altercation. Other officers called to the scene first tried pepper spray to control Enemkpali, but after that failed used a taser.
Enemkpali was suspended indefinitely by then-coach Sonny Dykes, but was reinstated in time to play 12 games for the Bulldogs that season. He earned all-conference honors in 2012 and 2013 before the Jets selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.
According to ESPN, the dispute between Smith and Enemkpali started because Smith did not repay Enemkpali $600 that Enemkpali claimed Smith owed him for the purchase of a plane ticket. Enemkpali bought the plane ticket for Smith to attend Enemkpali’s football camp. But Smith did not attend the event, apparently because a friend of his was killed in a motorcycle accident.
The NFL Network reported that Enemkpali leveled Smith when the quarterback put his finger in the 270-pounder’s face during a heated exchange about the money Smith owed, prompting the punch. The blow resulted in multiple breaks in Smith’s jaw, which could make him a candidate for injured reserve with a return designation.
Smith will miss 6-10 weeks.