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.”