If you weren't watching "As the NFL Turns" last night, previously known as the annual NFL Draft, then you missed out on some of the best reality television ever (unless you're an Ole Miss fan).
All-American offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was a projected top five pick, but just before the draft got underway a video appeared on the player's Twitter account. This wasn't just any video, but a video of Tunsil smoking something out of a gas mask bong. The NFL usually frowns upon this kind of attention, and as you'd expect the video was immediately deleted. However it was too late; Tunsil's draft stock went up in smoke, and whoever was responsible for hacking his account was just getting started.
Tunsil learned of the video during a live radio interview with ESPN. Shortly after the Miami Dolphins drafted him at 13, he tried to explain what happened to Deion Sanders during an interview with the NFL Network.
"Man, it was a mistake. It happened years ago," Tunsil said. "Someone had my Twitter account and that's how it got on there."
Yes, someone had hacked his Twitter account, but they apparently wanted to spread the love on other social networks, as well. Shortly after the Twitter fiasco, Instagram pictures appeared on Tunsil's account. The pictures showed screen shots of what appears to be Tunsil asking for money to pay his rent, and his mother's electric bill. The problem with this is that he was allegedly asking a member of the University of Mississippi athletic department.
And just when you thought that this debacle couldn't get any worse (or better), Tunsil admitted to taking money from Ole Miss coaches on live national television.
You can clearly hear a reporter ask if Tunsil was ever paid by Ole Miss coaches. Tunsil's response, "I'd have to say, yeah."
Most people agree that the hacker was most likely someone Tunsil knows, and who had access to his phone. One thing is certain, and it's that Tunsil (and the Ole Miss coaching staff) now knows the importance of creating strong passwords. If Tunsil would have used a multi-factor authentication (MFA) method, such as a password and fingerprint, then there's a good chance he'd be about $10 million richer, and that his former school wouldn't be facing such severe NCAA sanctions (okay, that was happening no matter what).
Tunsil will now head to Miami in hopes of rewriting his story, but this memorable tale is all about how he became the poster boy for multi-factor authentication during what looked like an episode from HBO's hit show "Ballers."
