Just as the “Days Without an Arrest” ticker was slowly trudging toward the double-digit plateau, Cliff Harris has come along and quickly -- very, very quickly -- erased any shot of hitting that mark.
According to The Oregonian, the All-American Oregon cornerback was cited very early Sunday morning by the Oregon State Police for speeding. And this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill citation, either; no, Harris was clocked doing 118 mph in a 65-mph zone. At 4:32 a.m. On a suspended license.
Officially, Harris was cited for driving while suspended and exceeding the speed limit in excess of 100 mph. The paper writes that it’s unclear why his license was suspended in the first place.
It’s also unclear what if any punishment he will be facing from head coach Chip Kelly.
Harris is widely considered one of the top corners in the game, with his six interceptions in 2010 tying for sixth in the country. That performance led to a spot on the Associated Press’ second-team All-American squad as a sophomore.
He’s also one of the most dangerous punt returners, finishing third nationally in average per return (16.1) while leading all of Div. 1-A with four returns for touchdowns.
UPDATED 7:43 p.m. ET: Kelly has released a statement on Harris’ apparent attempt to set the Altima land-speed record.
“We are obviously very disappointed in the lack of judgment exercised by Cliff and feel it’s unacceptable. I’ve said from the beginning that it should be a privilege to play football at the University of Oregon. With that said, individuals must bear the responsibilities for their own behavior. Once we have finished collecting all the information, in this situation, we will determine the appropriate action.”