In a recent and unfortunate turn of events former BYU quarterback Max Hall has found himself under a lot of heat, and not just from Utah fans. Yesterday, the news of Hall and his arrest down in Arizona circled the social media rounds, causing fans from both Utah and BYU alike to share their opinions.

The fact that a former BYU player is getting arrested for shoplifting and drug possession is newsworthy in itself, but because this particular athlete called the Utah program, school and its fans classless, makes this story that much more interesting.

Sure, it would be easy for all Utah fans to join forces and gang up on the former BYU signal caller, as well as Cougar fans. We all know college students are always looking for the upper hand against an in-state rival. That being said I want to heed a warning to all Utah students or fans that might be thinking of using this story as ammo against BYU.

Before going any further, let’s just point out the obvious irony. Yes, Hall was the one who said he, “hates Utah”. He’s the one who claimed Utah fans spilt beer on his family and he’s the one who used the infamous words, “they’re classless” when referring to the Utah program and fans. Now, here he is years later, being arrested for stolen items from Best Buy and a personal stash of cocaine. Best of all, in Hall’s mugshot, he is rocking a BYU shirt.

But that isn’t the point here. Drug addiction is a serious matter. Whether or not the guy is actually addicted to the drug isn’t important either, but the fact that he had a recreational drug on him says something – he is clearly struggling with something going on in his life.

Save the loved ones who are close to the situation, no one really knows what that could be. Hall’s NFL career never really panned out, only having a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals. In that time, the former BYU great threw only one touchdown to his six interceptions, compiling a record of 1-2 as a starter. After that, Hall tried to make in the CFL, where he was released after the 2013 season by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Before his arrest, he was the offensive coordinator at Gilbert High School in Arizona, per ESPN.

Maybe it was his failure to succeed at the next level that led to this, or maybe not. Who knows and who am I to speculate what this guy’s life is about?

All I know is that Hall is clearly in a dark place right now and he doesn’t deserve any sort of public shaming, even if he did say all those asinine things about the Utah program.

So yes, Utah fans, you now have the advantage over the team down south, for now. But please, let’s show everyone that Utah fans have some class and be extra careful with this situation moving forward. As I previously said, this is not a joking matter and doesn’t deserve to be treated as such. My thoughts go out to Max Hall and his family, as I hope this situation does not destroy something much more valuable than a reputation.