What if I were to tell you that the Oregon football program had the chance to add a talented defensive back from Texas this summer? In the words of Bob Ryan from Entourage: “Is that something you might be interested in?”
You’re probably nodding your head intently right now. And, as it turned out, the Ducks did indeed add a defensive back to their roster last week: sophomore Marcus Davis, a University of Texas transfer.
Davis was an All-American in high school and recorded 10 tackles and a sack last year as a freshman. It all sounds great, doesn’t it? Another blue-chip prospect on an already stacked 2010 roster; who could complain about that?
And yet, as is so often the case, there is another side to this coin. Davis may be a can’t-miss talent on the gridiron, but he has hardly been an All-American off the field. The Longhorns suspended Davis indefinitely last season after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance. Subsequently, Davis decided to transfer.
Forgive me, but doesn’t this sound all too familiar? Just last month, quarterback Jeremiah
Masoli was thrown off the team after another brush with the law. Running back LaMichael James and kicker Rob Beard still have one-game suspensions to fulfill, and linebacker Kiko Alonso is banned until 2011. Quite simply, the bad taste of this offseason has hardly abated.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m all for second chances. It’s perfectly reasonable to assume that Davis learned his lesson last year and will clean up his act in Eugene. The program’s troubled past should not hinder him, and I sincerely hope he succeeds with the Ducks.
Still, I have to question Chip Kelly’s judgment here. The Oregon football program is approaching very dangerous territory; call it “Miami Hurricanes Syndrome.” The Ducks reached unprecedented success last year, defeating mighty USC and Oregon State en route to a Pacific-10 Conference Championship and a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. Despite the eventual loss to Ohio State, things seemed rather, well, rosy.
Then came the Masoli theft accusations. And then James was arrested, followed, shortly afterward by Alonso. Suddenly, the University was all over SportsCenter, and the talking heads wondered if Chip Kelly had lost control.
To his credit, Kelly handled the whole situation well. He waited for the facts to come out, and made decisions accordingly. I thought all of his punishments were fair, and the choice to banish Masoli after the latest incident was the right one.
But the program still has a long way to go before it can reclaim its once-pristine image. Just as it will take years to forget the image of the team dancing on the field after the USC upset, jaded fans will have a hard time tossing aside the photo of Masoli standing solemnly in the Lane County Circuit Court.
In other words, Oregon football is at a critical juncture right now. Will the Ducks return to their winning ways and stay out of trouble off the field, or will they continue down the delinquent path of this offseason? Kelly seems intent on cleaning up his team’s image, and I do believe that he will run a tight ship from here on out.
The Davis signing, however, suggests that Kelly still values talent equipped with a warning label. Under normal circumstances, that would all be well and good. As any sports fan can acknowledge, a second chance can go a long way.
But normal circumstances these are not. The program is still in damage control mode, and the last thing it needs is another negative headline. Hopefully, Davis will provide nothing of the sort. At this point, I can’t help but feel a bit skeptical.

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