There’s a disturbing trend happening on the campus of the University.
The last month has not been a good one for the Oregon football team. After coming back from Pasadena as heroes, some players have started to systematically decay our faith in the Ducks.
There have been arrests. There have been fights. There have been rumors of theft. There has been irresponsible drinking.
This is not the behavior anyone wants to see from the University’s most beloved athletic team. We acknowledge that the majority of the players are making the right choices, but it only takes the actions of a few to ruin it for the group. Fans sell out Autzen Stadium every game to watch the Ducks play and millions more watch them on national television. They buy jerseys, T-shirts, flags as big as houses and just about anything else that can be sold in support of them. But the real shame in the actions of some of the team are disrespecting the University, the students, faculty and staff that call this place home.
Like it or not, the football team is the most high-profile entity on this campus. There’s name recognition around the country with Oregon football and its accomplishments. Pacific-10 Champions. Rose Bowl competitors. And with that recognition comes the responsibility to do the right thing. When athletes sign a letter of intent to play at a college, they are signing a letter to represent not only themselves but an entire school and community.
When an athlete gets arrested, the news makes it into the national media. It starts to infect people’s opinions on the football team and the school. When these incidents continue, doubts start to enter the heads of parents sending their kids to that school to play football.
They wonder if their child will be affected by the unsavory character of the team.
Being a collegiate athlete with a scholarship to play football doesn’t give an athlete a free ride. He may get to travel the country, get free swag and play in sold-out stadiums, but it doesn’t give him the right to break the law. People believe there is a double-standard set for athletes. Some think athletes can do whatever they want and not receive more than a slap on the wrist. They can skip classes, party into the early hours of the morning, break rules and still play on Saturdays. It’s a perception that grows when things like this occur.
Coming to college and immediately being a part of one of the best teams in school history may have its effects on young adults. The fame and recognition may get to their heads, but it still doesn’t make getting arrested for drunken driving OK. It still doesn’t make assaulting girlfriends or others OK. We are all here at the University to learn and make our way in this world. We are all adults. Coaches can’t — and shouldn’t — babysit their players 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They expect their athletes to behave with a level of maturity that befits their decision to give them a scholarship at this school.
This is to all the athletes on this campus: You have a great opportunity to earn a degree and play sports; don’t waste it by making poor decisions. It will personally make your life harder and it will tarnish the reputation of this great institution.
To head coach Chip Kelly: You need to act swiftly in dealing with these athletes. You have already done so in the case of Kiko Alonso and his DUII by suspending him for the entire 2010 season, but it needs to go further. It is up to you to right the ship and show the community that you’re more than a football coach — you’re also a mentor. You have proven to be quick in deciding punishment. In September you suspended running back LeGarrette Blount for punching Boise State player Byron Hout in the jaw. You have also proven to be compassionate when you feel one of your athletes has learned his lesson. You gave Blount a second chance, and he made the most of it.
But in these cases, you need to send a message. You need to teach these kids a life lesson about consequences. Show them that being a member of the Oregon football team is something that is earned through hard work, good decisions and a clean record. Find a new way to get through to your team before it’s too late and more members get kicked off, because the current system of meetings isn’t working. And finally, toughen recruiting policies. You can get tremendous talent without sacrificing morals. You owe it to yourself, the school and the city of Eugene to bring responsible, well-behaved student-athletes to campus who are committed to earning their degrees and representing the team with pride.
LaMichael James, Kiko Alonso, Jamere Holland, Matt Simms, Rob Beard, Garrett Embry: You have all embarrassed the University. You wore the Oregon name on your jersey and have lost the trust of the campus community. Take a page from Blount and make amends. Write an apology to your peers to start the process of healing the wound. Take your punishment with the knowledge that one day you can regain that trust, but it will take time and sacrifice on your part to know that what you did hurt yourself, your team and your school. Everyone makes mistakes, but true maturity shows that you have learned from them and created a positive ending.
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