Civil War win more than just Roses for Ducks

LeGarrette Blount - Oregon Ducks

Now that the dust has started to settle here is yet another Civil War article. But this isn’t the typical Ducks beating Beavers story.

We all know by now that the Oregon Ducks have beaten the Oregon State Beavers by the final score of 37-33 for the 2009 Civil War. And yes, the Ducks are the Pac-10 champions and will face Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

This game has become an instant classic. But it’s more than that.

Just a few short years ago, who would have thought we’d be talking about the importance of the Civil War for both teams? Who knew it would some day be deciding the Pac-10 championship, which team from the state of Oregon heads to the Rose Bowl, or become a classic for the ages. The 113 edition of the in-state rivalry will be one we tell our kids and grand kids about.

This Civil War was also about more than just football.

First, you have former head coach and current Oregon AD Mike Bellotti. He helped raise Oregon to the current level of recognition and play that they’re at right now. Yet, he never had the opportunity to make it to the Rose Bowl as head coach. Bellotti didn’t take over the head coaching position until after the 1994 season. It was that 1994 team that made it to the Grand Daddy of Them All playing on January 2, 1995.

For 14 season Mike Bellotti coached the Oregon Ducks. He had ups and downs (mostly ups) during his tenure and in 2001 his team went 11-1 — barely missing out on a chance to play for the National Championship. The Ducks were the Pac-10 champs that season, but back then they didn’t play all four BCS bowls plus a National Championship game like they do now. Instead, they played three of the BCS bowls with the fourth being the National Championship. And that year the Rose Bowl was designated for the National Championship game. So, the Ducks went to the Fiesta Bowl where they smoked Colorado 38-16.

Fast forward to the 2009 season. In March of 2009 Bellotti officially stepped down as head coach and became the AD. Chip Kelly took over as the head coach and led the team to a 10-2 record, Pac-10 championship and Rose Bowl berth. Bellotti gets sandwiched in between Oregon’s visit to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

Then there’s LeGarrette Blount. Before the season he was being talked about as a Heisman Trophy candidate and NFL prospect. And there was no reason to think otherwise. Then, on September 3rd, on a nationally televised ESPN Thursday night game, it all went wrong for Blount — and it could have been disastrous for the entire team as well.

After Oregon’s loss to Boise State Blount punched one of the Broncos players. He went berserk and scuffled with teammates and then wanted to unload on Boise State fans who taunted him (one actually slapped Blount) as coaches and players tried to get Blount off the field. Chip Kelly suspended Blount for the remaining of the season.

Or did he.

You see, it would have been easy for LeGarrette Blount to quit, walk away from Oregon football and from school. All he had to do was get with a personal trainer and begin working hard for a shot at the NFL. But he didn’t. Blount stayed in school. He worked with the scout team helping prepare his teammates for upcoming opponents. He also spoke to several people who helped keep him on the straight path. He spoke to the likes of Tony Dungy, Kermit Washington and Jon Gruden among others. All while thinking he would never play on game day for the Ducks.

But then, on October 2nd something happened. Head coach Chip Kelly held a press-conference telling everyone he would be willing to let Blount rejoin the team if certain academic, football and human “ladders” were achieved by the running back. Oh man, did many come down hard on Chip Kelly –including some Ducks fans. They’d say things like, “he went back on his word,” or “how can anyone trust what he says,” and “what’s this teaching Blount.”

Listen, I believe Chip Kelly when he says lifting LeGarrette Blount’s suspension has nothing to do with football. I believe him when he says he wanted Blount to actually believe he would be suspended for the remainder of the season and that he wanted to see how Blount would react thinking he had no reason to be a part of Oregon — for football or academics. I mean seriously, it would have been so easy for Blount to bail and leave Oregon behind. But he didn’t. He faced his wrongs and I believe is trying to do right.

Sure, Blount has an awful lot to lose with the NFL and all. But does it really matter why someone makes the effort to change for the better? It seems to be the more important issue is if they’ve actually made the change that lasts a lifetime.

Getting Blount into the Civil War game surely ignited a spark in the team and the Oregon crowd. He was able to make the best of it and even scored a touchdown. But you know what? Although that touchdown will never erase what was done on September 3rd, it can now be what may be a final impression for his Oregon football career. And that has to go a long way in helping him out in the future as a person.

Maybe, just maybe, down the road people won’t immediately or only remember Blount as the guy who punched a Boise State player. Maybe they’ll remember Blount as the guy who faced adversity, turned his life around and sparked one of the greatest Civil War wins in Oregon history.

I’m hopeful LeGarrette Blount will play in the Rose Bowl — if even for one play. But if not, I’ll always remember his final game as a Duck.

 My Sportsman: Chip Kelly – 2009 Sportsman of the Year – SI.com

Chip Kelly - Oregon head football coach

Sports Illustrated writer Ian Thomsen thinks Oregon coach Chip Kelly is deserved of the 2009 Sportsman of the Year award.

With all that he’s endured throughout the season and his work with LeGarrette Blount, I would have to say Kelly isn’t such a bad choice.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly is my Sportsman of Year choice – 2009 Sportsman of the Year – SI.com.

 Will LeGarrette Blount be reinstated by Oregon?

Update: (11:19 pm PST) Several reports are out that head football coach Chip Kelly will address the situation tomorrow (Friday, October 2nd) after the team’s practice approximately 11:00 am PST.

There are also several media outlets reporting “sources” saying perhaps there was a plan in place that would allow Blount to be reinstated following certain conditions.

Blount, who became a father recently, has been in contact with various mentors including Michael Vick mentor and confidant Tony Dungy and former NBA player Kermit Washington among others. It was Washington who was suspended for 60 days for punching Rudy Tomjanovich during a fight that happened on-court on December 9, 1977.

Joe Schad from ESPN writes:

Kelly had previously said reinstatement was not an option. But Blount has impressed many people he’s spoken with as part of the plan. Among those people are Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden, Kermit Washington and noted sociologist and scholar Harry Edwards, a professor emeritus at Cal-Berkeley.

Blount has recently become a father. A person familiar with Kelly’s plan said the resinstatement would not come immediately and likely not before Oregon’s bye week on Oct. 17.

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Oregon Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount may be getting a (deserved?) second chance at college football as head coach Chip Kelly reconsiders the season long suspension.

On the heels of LeGarrette Blount’s letter of apology comes news from various outlets, including  John Hunt of the Oregonian, that on Friday Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly will discuss the issue of Blount and his status with the team.

Joe Schad, National College Football Reporter for ESPN, is tweeting on his twitter page that Blount could be reinstated in “in three to five weeks.”

Blount was suspended from all remaining football games after he punched Boise State’s Byron Hout after the Broncos beat Oregon on a nationally televised ESPN Thursday night game to start the season. Blount was allowed to remain on the team, however, and practice providing he kept up with his academics like any other student athlete.

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 LeGarrette Blount issues letter of apology to campus community

LeGarrette Blount - Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Daily Emerald published a letter to the editor today that came from UO student athlete LeGarrette Blount. Blount is the now infamous Oregon Ducks running back who cold-cocked Byron Hout after the Boise State game.

In the letter Blount apologizes for his actions and lets it be known he does not “expect to be given a second chance to be a positive and responsible member of the football program.”

Blount also discusses how being a student athlete should be taken as a privilege and not taken for granted.

 Oregon’s defense should get credit for win over Purdue

Eighteen points. That’s the total number of points that can be directly attributed to the Oregon defense in the Ducks’ 38-36 win over Purdue on Saturday night.

With the offense still struggling and finding their way, it was the defense who lead the charge with a Walter Thurmond III interception returned for a touchdown, Javes Lewis’ fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and Casey Matthews’ interception which set up an Oregon field goal. Add to that the blocked extra point by the Ducks, and it adds up to 18 points.

Even with the points attributed to the defense, the game was almost lost on a late Purdue touchdown that brought the Boilermakers to within two points. A two-point conversion would have sent the game into overtime.

Purdue QB Joey Elliott threw the ball to the back of the end zone where Kyle Adams leapt for the catch. Ducks fans held their collective breathe and watched as Adams landed with the ball in hand and out of bounds. With only 1:01 remaining the game and victory were securely in hand for Oregon.

The Ducks offense started slowly, but looked better in the second half. QB Jeremiah Masoli completed 11 0f 21 passes for 163 yards. He was also the Ducks leading rusher with 84 yards.

The team was penalized nine times for 99 yards. They’ll definitely need to clean up their game and cut back on penalties.

LeGarrette Blount was on the field with the team before the game started, but once game time came he left the field.

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