Oregon coach: 'I have suspended LeGarrette Blount for the season'
"LeGarrette Blount won't just be a YouTube clip of this what happened to him on Sept. 3 in Boise, Idaho," head coach Chip Kelly said Friday in announcing he had suspended Blount for the season. "There's a lot more to LeGarrette Blount." By Associated Press and KVAL.com staffEUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon suspended running back LeGarrette Blount on Friday for the remainder of season for punching Boise State defensive end Byron Hout. "After watching the incident, I knew right away what I wanted to do," head coach Chip Kelly told a press conference Friday. As Boise State began celebrating on their famous blue turf, Hout yelled in Blount's face and tapped him on the shoulder pad. Before Broncos head coach Chris Petersen could pull Hout away, Blount landed a right to Hout's jaw, knocking him to his knees.
Blount also had to be restrained by police officers from fans heckling him on the way to the locker room after No. 16 Oregon's 19-8 loss Thursday to the No. 14 Broncos. | Video of Blount punching Boise State player
Blount's suspension includes any bowl games. Kelly said Blount will remain on scholarship.
Hout will not be suspended for taunting Blount. Boise State spokesman Max Corbet told The Associated Press in an e-mail that Petersen planned to spend time with Hout this week to help him learn from what happened. Mike Bellotti, who stepped aside as head coach to become Oregon's athletic director this summer, said the Pac-10 was consulted about the punishment and supported Oregon's decision.
After the game, Blount apologized for his actions. "It was just something that I shouldn't have done," said Blount, who had eight carries for a loss of five yards. "I lost my head." Regardless, Oregon University president Richard Lariviere called Blount's behavior "reprehensible." "We do not and will not tolerate the actions that were taken by our player. Oregon's loyal fans expect and deserve better," Lariviere said in a statement. "The University of Oregon Athletics Department is reviewing the situation and will take appropriate action, reflecting the seriousness of the player's behavior." In February, Blount was suspended indefinitely from the team for "failure to fulfill team obligations." Bellotti did not share any details, elaborate at the time, but Blount reportedly missed offseason team meetings. He was reinstated before spring practice. Blount, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound transfer from East Mississippi CC, rushed for 1,002 yards and a school-record 17 touchdowns last season. (Copyright 2009 The Associated Press)
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