Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has released a statement opening the door for a return to collegiate football by LeGarrette Blount, the school announced on its official website.
In the statement, Kelly said there is no guarantee that Blount will return to the playing field. But, after consulting with the likes of Dr. Harry Edwards and former NFL head coach Tony Dungy — the same Tony Dungy who helped get Michael Vick back into the NFL following his prison stint — Kelly decided to devise a plan that may allow Blount to play for UO again.
“After speaking with a number of nationally renowned professionals in the field, which included Dr. Harry Edwards and Tony Dungy, I came to the conclusion that leaving the door open for LeGarrette’s potential return as an active player was the best solution,” Kelly said in a statement on the website.
“He has a rigid set of conditions he must live up to and there are certainly no guarantees in place. This merely provides him the opportunity for my reconsideration in the future should he meet those demands.”
The site also reports that “Oregon Director of Athletics Mike Bellotti said that both he and University President Richard Lariviere had been kept up to date in regards to the process, and Bellotti reiterated his support for Kelly’s decision.”
I wouldnt go back and play. The head coach and ncaa president left him out to dry IMMEDIATELY after the incident. None of these “adults” came to this young man’s aid. No one said lets take a step back and fairly review and discuss a fair and appropriate punishment for BOTH persons involved. Obviously Blount was a passionate player. He was passionate about the loss and the other player should have kept his mouth shut and kept his hands to himself. The other player wanted a reaction from Blount and he got one, KNOCKED THE F*CK OUT! Hey Blount, stay in shape, save your body some wear and tear, get your degree, go to the pros. F UofO!!!!
I think he deserves what he got and should not be reinstated. He talked trash before the game and got shut down, he is a low life thug and needs to be kicked out. You do the crime be prepared to do the time. It only gets worse as you move up to the NFL with the taunting from players and fans, is he going to go crazy and try to fight everyperson who taunts him. Is he going to blindside every person who taunts him. I think he his an animal and even his coaches and the NCAA can’t stand behind and animal.
Unfortunately for “playerhaterhater” and Blount (fortunately for the rest of us), the NFL is concerned about a players psychological makeup in addition to his athletic ability.
I feel the sadest thing about this incident is how it brings out people like “playerhaterhater”
Regardless of how you feel about the punishment , and even if you feel Hout should have faced stiffer discipline as well, the act was absolutely unacceptable. There is no room for that even pee wee football. Blount talked smack before the game and put up probably his worst performance. That doesn’t allow him to hit someone that gives it back.
Blount was suspended earlier before the season and has shown an inability to control his violent emotions. I personally don’t believe reinstatement would be fair to Oregon or football fans. Oregon has a great program with many talented people and shouldn’t risk tarnishing it with Pacman Jones wannabes.
I would only let him come back if he punched Lou Holtz in the mouth and Lee Corso in the nads.
If he must be violent, let’s point him in the right direction.
He was suspended mainly for going after his teammate that restrained him and then trying to go after someone in the crowd. Least that is what some people say.
Ya, he cheap shot someone, but by acting reckless and out of control after wards show he is a true idiot.
If it doesn’t involve him setting a path to getting his degree he shouldn’t be allowed to return.
Sadly, as time passes I lose more respect for Dungy.
wow, some people.
Dude punched an obnoxious, unsportsmanlike ass and you would think he speared a fan. Boise came to Eugene and beat a better team by taking cheapshots and later rubbing it in, resulting in a mini-rivalry. What happened after the game was an emotional kid getting the obnoxious babybrother treatment, anyone with a babybrother, what´d you do is he beat you in whatever and then started screaming, taunting and patting your shoulder telling you how much you suck.
This would never happen in the NFL cause people like Hout)?) does not survive in that fraternity acting 6 year old. A NFL player would extend sympathy, encourage the effort and give a reassuring pat on the shoulder or hug. Not laugh in your opponents face and pat his finger on the shoulder (which is very demeaning in any situation). As for fans, I always assumed fans that taunt players were men enough to engage in a fight, cause that´s what´d ensue in real life, just because it´s a public figure does not give you a license to be an ass. That´d be like saying the guy who taunted Joe Jurevicius for his dead child was all part of the game.
Most of all, people seem to expect too much from kids that are driven to be as big, aggressive and violent as can be…until the whistle blow. Usually that´s ok cause there´s unwritten rules of respect all real player play by, but they also know that if they violate them there´s a punishment, deal with the reaction of a “full” grown man.
The sad part of this whole thing is that if Byron Hout was black and Blount was white, Blount would we national hero for knocking out some trash talking thug…
I feel the saddest thing is…. You can’t spell… Hopefully Blunt (misspelled purposefully) can still do that…
Jones: Hout was not blindsided, he has slow reflexes (typical). If he -Blount – is a “low life thug” and an “animal” what adjectives would you use to describe a murderer or rapist? IdahoNative, I dont blame you for moving. If Blount “talked smack” before the game, then by your reasoning he deserved his punishment. Where, then, is Hout’s punishment for the SAME INFRACTION!!?? SmackmyVickup: I agree with your degree insertion. I like Wollert!! Rodriguez, spoken like a true Rodriguez, someone who is living in “their” world and has experience with “their” subculture, which consists of forgiving themselves and dehumanizing anyone else who gets out of line. BRAVO!
p.s. F*ck Kobe!!!
IdahoNative, you may be right about the severity of punishment, etc., and we can disagree about it, but just so you know, Blount was never previously suspended for anything having to do with violent emotions, confrontations with teammates, etc. He was given two previous short suspensions for an acedemic reason and for missing practice. No past history of spazzing out like he did in Boise.
I personally think that IF he comes back, 8 games is pretty long, and much longer than any other player has ever gotten (Nebraska player who punched Missouri fan and got one game, Michigan player who punched Notre Dame player this year and got one game), etc.
As for the NFL, I actually think the NFL, right or wrong, is more lenient than in college. They’ve had players punch or attack teammates over and over in the NFL and it never results in season suspensions. Panthers Steve Smith has twice punched teammates in the face (one in the film room and it damages the player’s facial structure, and he was suspended for one game).