Oregon Duck’s Cornerback Cliff Harris Suspended Indefinitely
Cliff Harris is like Ricky Bobby, he likes to goes fast. While that has propelled him to be one of the top prospects in all of college football and a potential first round pick next year, it could also cost him the 2011 College Football Season. Cliff Harris has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon coach Chip Kelly for speeding. Harris was clocked at 118 miles per hour in a rented vehicle. The vehicle was rented by an Oregon employee. Harris was also driving on a suspended license. Reportedly, Harris has been caught speeding on a suspended license before. The person who rented the car for their own personal use does not work for the athletic department.
It’s unlikely that Harris will miss the entire season, but it is possible, especially if NCAA infractions have occurred. Chip Kelly said about Harris, “Cliff’s future clearly is in Cliff’s hands. Earning an opportunity to represent the University of Oregon and this football program certainly rests far beyond a player’s ability on the field of play. Our behavior out of the spotlight often is more important and will be held to a higher standard. Until Cliff is able to conform to the same standards all of us must comply with, his status will remain unchanged.”
I’ll never understand how athletes who have so much to lose could behave in such a manner, but perhaps that’s because I’ve never received adulation from millions of people. Still, if I was a potential first round pick like Cliff Harris who could be losing millions of dollars by behaving badly off the field and falling down in the draft, I would be able to resist the temptation, but maybe that’s what separates special athletes from us normals. They believe they are untouchable, that arrogance is great when it extends onto the field. I’ve never met Harris personally, I’m speaking in generalities. Hopefully, Harris will learn from this mistake and we’ll see him on the field this year because he’s fun to watch on the football field.
Original story source: Laramie Boomerang