Senior Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, 21, has officially been dismissed from the football program, completing a fall from grace that began in January.
Masoli, already suspended for the 2010 season by head coach Chip Kelly, was pulled over by Springfield police on Monday after failing to stop before entering a road. Police then found him to be in possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, as well as a suspended driver’s license.
In all, Masoli was hit with three citations: failure to stop at a driveway or sidewalk, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and driving with a suspended license. None of the charges are criminal, and Masoli will have the option of either attending a hearing at Springfield Municipal Court on June 24 or paying specified fines in advance.
Despite the relatively minor nature of the charges, Kelly had seen quite enough. He had originally decided to suspend Masoli for the 2010 season after the quarterback admitted his guilt in the theft of two laptops and a projector from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity house on Jan. 24.
Upon submitting a guilty plea, Masoli was assigned 12 months probation, 140 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
Under Kelly’s conditions, Masoli would have the opportunity to return in 2011 if he met certain requirements. After his most recent brush with the law, it was clear those guidelines were not being followed, and Kelly was swift in his judgment.
“I had a plan in place for him to follow, and if he didn’t follow it, he was gone,” Kelly said to The Register-Guard. “He didn’t follow it, so he’s gone.”
As one of Oregon’s most well-known players, Masoli led the team to a Rose Bowl berth last season. He finishes his career with 3,891 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. His 1,386 career rushing yards rank first in the record books for Oregon quarterbacks.
Sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas was also in the car, but faces no charges.
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