Second chances are great. As a staff member at the Emerald during the early ’90s, I vaguely remember the paper editorializing against rules that would bar felons from enrolling at the University. We argued that people who had fulfilled their debt to society deserved a chance to better themselves with education, and it was in society’ s long-term best interest not to close off such avenues.
The issue is important now because, with the no-felon rule in place, Duck head coach Mike Bellotti and defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti are petitioning a court in California to reduce recruit Rodney Woods’ felony assault to a misdemeanor so that the young man can enroll at the University.
There will probably always be attempts to promote loopholes for exceptions to this rather draconian rule barring felons.
But wouldn’t it be more appropriate to make those exceptions because the person in question displayed a proven redeeming value more significant than merely running fast enough to fill a hole in the football team’s secondary line?
Rodney Woods is still on probation for the May 19, 2000, beating of Kevin Walker, who tried to stop two of Woods’ high school football teammates from beating Christopher O’Leary to death after Woods initially got into an argument with O’Leary.
This isn’t some kid who became a felon by putting his foot through the window of a federal building while being caught up in a riot over the Rodney King verdict, as was the example we used in our editorial in the ’90s. This is a person who played a part in a man being kicked and punched to death.
He’s still on probation for that crime. Let Rodney Woods show that he can fulfill the commitment that the justice system enforced on him before the University grants him de facto clemency.