Earlier today PORTLAND OREGONIAN columnist John Canzano reported that LeGarrette Blount once accidentally punched former Oregon head football coach Mike Bellotti in the face during a practice scuffle.

Though acknowledging a practice “scuffle” involving Blount, Bellotti today denied that he was struck by Blount during the altercation. Bellotti to ESPN Radio’s Scott Van Pelt (audio):

LeGarrette Blount never hit me, not accidentally nor on purpose …. I do remember where I had to break up a scuffle during practice … LeGarrette was an offensive player and there were a couple defensive players and I stepped between them. … LeGarrette Blount never struck me.

After Bellotti’s denial, I contacted Canzano for a response. Canzano replied with this statement via email: Read more…

Prominent PORTLAND OREGONIAN columnist John Canzano reports this week that LeGarrette Blount once punched former Oregon head football coach Mike Bellotti in the face during a practice scuffle.

Two football seasons ago. Closed practice. Autzen Stadium. Running back LeGarrette Blount was carrying the football on a play that swung wide when he was met by two University of Oregon defenders.

Defensive back Jairus Byrd and linebacker Jerome Boyd grabbed Blount and shoved him toward the sideline. A scuffle broke out, facemasks were grabbed, bodies tangled and then Ducks head coach Mike Bellotti hurried toward the mess, trying to break up the players.

Blount threw a punch.

It missed Byrd and Boyd, but caught the side of Bellotti’s face — square.

Two Ducks teammates and a former assistant coach told me about that punch on Thursday.

Bellotti never publicly talked about it and did not return a call Thursday on the matter. Ducks teammates, aghast on the field as it happened, laughed about Bellotti’s shocked reaction with one another in the locker room after practice.

Blount, Byrd and Boyd were kicked off the field, but were not disciplined.

Former Oregon football players also indicated to Canzano that Blount’s bad act wasn’t limited to that one incident during Ducks practices. Read more…

Going into the 2009 college football season, former Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount was projected as high as a second-round NFL draft pick. But after punching Boise State player Byron Hout on the field after the Ducks opening game of the season, which led to an eight-game suspension, Blount’s draft stock plummeted.

(Large image credit to Gourmet Spud at Deadspin.com)

That didn’t stop him from telling the SALEM (OR) STATESMAN-JOURNAL last week: “To be 100 percent honest, I feel like I’m the best running back in this draft.”

Read more…

As of the fifth round, sixth round, seventh round…

UPDATE (5:15p ET): Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount wasn’t selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Surprising, considering his experience working out of the full house backfield.

UPDATE (5:47p ET): I’ve been told that Blount has one son (closest to him in the above photo) and another baby on the way.

His baby mama also has a daughter of her own. Cute lady.

John Hunt of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN reports Saturday:

Mere hours after Oregon coach Chip Kelly answered questions about his team’s slew of off-field troubles, Ducks linebacker Kiko Alonso was picked up for drunk driving.

“If a player doesn’t live up to the standards we have for the football program, then they’re not going to be here,” Kelly said Friday. “But I’m also not going to follow our kids around every Friday or Saturday night so I can see what happened to them.” Read more…

John Hunt and Jeff Smith of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN have an informative follow to the news of Oregon football player LaMichael James‘ incarceration:

(”We do a very good job educating those young men on the right things to do“)

James has been charged with fourth-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor that carries a potential one-year prison term, as well as with strangulation and menacing, both misdemeanors. He will be arraigned this afternoon.

According to Sgt. Tom Borchers of the Springfield Police Department, James was taken into custody Tuesday, a day after getting into a fight with his girlfriend.

James’ girlfriend, according to the police report, said the running back grabbed her around the neck and pushed her to the ground. She complained of pain to her neck and of abrasions from being pushed down in a parking lot.

This isn’t the first time James has been charged by cops with a form of battery. Before signing with the Oregon football program, James faced charges in 2008 of disorderly conduct and third-degree battery in Texas. The claims were dropped in 2009.

Now for the delightful response of Oregon Athletic Director Mike Bellotti to James and other legal problems currently facing Oregon football players:

Read more…

Yet another notch on the police blotter for the Oregon football team, as the OREGON DAILY EMERALD reports today:

Oregon placekicker Rob Beard, 19, of Fullerton, Calif., was charged with fourth-degree assault by the Eugene Police Department on Tuesday because of his role in an incident on January 24.

According to Eugene police spokesperson Melinda Kletzok, the charge is a misdemeanor and not considered a felony. Beard has been cited in lieu of custody, which means he will not report to jail but rather attend a mandatory court appearance.

The assault charge stems from an altercation Beard had with Tavia Jo Ames, 19, of Eugene. Kletzok could not comment as to the exact nature of the altercation.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Beard’s alleged victim James is Facebook friends with Maurice Peterson. Peterson happens to be one of the men who later (allegedly) rearranged Beard’s face.

Read more…

Last week University of Oregon football players Garrett Embry and Jeremiah Masoli were accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of stuff from a frat house on the University of Oregon campus. The theft allegedly took place on Jan 24.

(Theft suspect Embry was expendable for Oregon Coach Chip Kelly)

Yesterday Oregon football coach Chip Kelly announced that Embry was, “dismissed from the program on Jan. 8 for a violation of team rules.”

Ken Goe of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN correctly observes that after the Embry alleged theft on Jan. 24, “Oregon officials refused to confirm he had been dismissed (from the team).”

But if he was dismissed on Jan. 8, why did Kelly wait until yesterday to announce it?

Read more…

Joe Schad of ESPN Tweeted today that Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount has been reinstated to the Ducks’ active roster.

Blount was eligible to come back last Saturday at Stanford, but as we told you last Friday, Ducks Coach Chip Kelly preferred to bring Blount back at the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium in Eugene, not on the road. Read more…

Tweet this afternoon from PORTLAND OREGONIAN columnist and sports radio host John Canzano:

Blount is eligible to return Saturday as the Ducks play at Stanford, but it doesn’t appear, at least from Canzano’s Tweet, that he’ll make the trip. Read more…