Oregon Done With Masoli's Poor Choices
Labor Day weekend of 2009, the Oregon Ducks lost their season-opening game to Boise State 19-8 in a game that was just as famous for LeGarrette LeBlount's punch as anything else.
Three months later Blount was back on the team, their offense was firing off 30 points or more every single game, and the Ducks were on their way to face Ohio State in the Rose Bowl after a surprising Pac-10 championship.
Then this spring, star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was arrested and charged with participating in a burglary in which several laptops and a guitar were stolen from a fraternity on Oregon's campus. This earned Masoli an immediate suspension for the entire 2010 season from head coach Chip Kelly.
Things had cooled down, and Masoli was still on scholarship, working to get back in the mix for his senior year in 2011. He can forget all about that now.
Monday night, Masoli was pulled over for not coming to a stop before exiting a driveway, at which point the arresting officer found "less than an ounce" of marijuana on his person, as well as a suspended driver's license.
Subsequently, Kelly has now kicked Masoli off the team entirely, citing "failure to adhere to obligations previously outlined" by the coach.
This is a huge swing of life plan for Masoli, who went from starting quarterback for the defending conference champion Ducks and potential future Tebow-like NFL draftee to non-scholarship athlete looking for a new extracurricular activity in a span of only a few months.
It's also a significant moment for Oregon, though it perhaps means that a guy like Darren Thomas is now "The Guy," with the "Until Masoli Returns" part removed from his designation.
Follow Technorati