From the desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe

Linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali – who goes by IK – broke quarterback Geno Smith’s jaw with one punch Tuesday morning in the New York Jets locker room.

“He got cold-cocked, sucker-punched, whatever you want to call it, in the jaw. He has a broken jaw, fractured jaw.

“The team knows it’s something we don’t tolerate, something we can’t stand. You don’t walk up to a man and punch him in the face.

“You can call him every name in the book and point in his face and do whatever you want, but when you punch a man in the face, that’s some serious stuff.” – Jets coach Todd Bowles

Bowles released Enemkpali within hours of the event.

From earliest reports, Geno Smith suffered two fractures and will miss between six and ten weeks.

Root of All Evil

The cause of the altercation was $600.

Back in mid-July, Geno Smith agreed to attend a football camp that Enemkpali was conducting in Texas. Enemkpali spent $600 on an airline ticket for Smith.

But Smith failed to show at the camp.

According to sources, a friend of Smith’s was killed in a motorcycle accident in Miami and Smith attended his friend’s funeral instead of the attending the football camp in Texas.

Smith agreed to reimburse the $600, but nearly a month transpired without any repayment. So Enkempali confronted Smith on Tuesday. A confrontation ensued and ended with a punch and a broken jaw.

Prior Offense

Enemkpali played his college football at Louisiana Tech.

One night back then, a fight broke out in a bar he was frequenting. He punched an off-duty police officer who was moonlighting as a security officer. Authorities used pepper spray and a stun gun to subdue Enemkpali.

He was arrested and charged with battery and disturbing the peace/drunk.

Later, the charge was reduced to simple battery. He received a suspended jail sentence and was placed on probation for for 13 months. He performed 32 hours of community service and completed a course in anger-management.

Sixth-Rounder

Rex Ryan – who was coaching the Jets at the time of the 2014 NFL draft – picked Enemkpali in the sixth round and coached him during his rookie season.

Ryan was fired by Jets in December and hired by Buffalo Bills a few weeks later in January.

“Bills Sign Jawbreaker” should be today’s headline in Buffalo because Rex Ryan welcomed IK Enemkpali into the Bills’ fold on Wednesday.

“Nothing justifies hitting somebody. I recognize it was a mistake, but I also believe he will learn from this. We’ll give him a chance to compete. There’s no guarantee that this young man makes this team. But I do have supreme confidence in myself, especially when I know the individual.

“If we didn’t think he would be successful on the field, in the locker room and in the community, he wouldn’t be here.

“If I wasn’t given another chance, I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you.” – Bills coach Rex Ryan

Rehab Facility

Since Rex Ryan took over as the head man with the Bills seven months ago, this is the third reclamation project he’s added to the roster:

1. Richie Incognito, who was suspended for a pattern of bullying his Miami Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin.
2. Percy Harvin, who proved to be a destructive element with the Vikings, Seahawks, and Jets.
3. IK Enemkpali.

The three signings above don’t include the addition of former Eagle Shady McCoy – which should prove to be an interesting story for many Eagles fans as the 2015 season unfolds.

In addition to being an official Eagles Outsider, Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen