EUGENE, Ore. -- University of Oregon Ducks star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been suspended for one full season, head coach Chip Kelly announced at a Friday press conference. Earlier Friday, Masoli pleaded guilty to second degree burglary, a Lane County court said Wednesday.
According to Kelly, Masoli would still have one year of football eligibility after the suspension. Kelly also announced that LaMichael James would be suspended for one game. On Friday James was sentenced to 10 days jail time as part of a plea deal.
Kelly also apologized for the need to have another press conference. In February, Kelly held a press conference insisting that the program would hold its athletes accountable for their actions.
The suspensions were contingent an adherence to a set of standards and procedures that Kelly has outlined between he and the two players.
Athletic Directory Mike Belotti, former head football coach, also addressed the media Friday and said he felt responsible for the troubled players, many of whom he recruited.
“I am extremely disappointed anytime any of our players fall short of our expectations that have been clearly outlined for them in advance on numerous occasions, and this is especially true regarding their roles within the community,” Kelly said. “Their accountability for their actions is paramount and any tainting of the reputation of the University of Oregon and this football program will not be tolerated."
Troubled Times for Ducks
In January, a student accused Masoli of stealing a computer from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. He was sentenced to 12 months probation and will do 140 hours of community service within next 8 months.
More importantly to football fans, Masoli was suspended for the 2010 season by Head Coach Chip Kelly. He may be able to return in 2011.
Ducks's backup wide receiver Garrett Embry also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the case.
"I want to apologize to fans of University of Oregon, to faculty of University of Oregon. This is not what our program is about," Kelley said in a news conference Friday.
Also on Friday, Ducks star runningback LaMichael James was sentenced to 10 days in jail and probation as part of a plea deal.
James was suspended for the first game of the season.
In February, Masoli and Embry were implicated in the alleged theft. Embry was later dismissed from the team for what the coach would only describe as "an unspecified violation of team rules."
"Something needs to be said as far as these football players knowing that they can't represent our school and then act like this," said student Deborah Bloom.
It's the latest in a slew of run-ins with the law for several players on the team
Running back Lamichael James was arrested in February for domestic assault against a girlfriend and ordered to stay away from her.
UO linebacker Kiko Alonso, 19, was cited in February for DUII, driving without insurance, failure to maintain a lane, an improper turn, and minor in possession, according to Eugene police.
Wide receiver Jamere Holland was also dismissed from the University of Oregon team. Kelly said the dismissal was for a violation of team rules. In the two-paragraph announcement, he did not specify what Holland had done wrong.
On Jan. 24, two Ducks players were involved in a large brawl near the U of O campus. One of them - kicker Rob Beard - was kicked in the head and knocked unconscious during the violent fight. Witnesses said he had been trying to break up the fight because his teammate and fellow kicker Mike Bowlin was getting beaten up. They were cited for assault.
Police previously cited UO football player Matt Simms for investigation of misdemeanor assault in what police allege was an attack on someone Simms thought was involved in beating up Beard. Simms has since left the team. So has Bowlin, who withdrew from the university as both a student and an athlete.
"They're kind of coincidences," said student Austin Taylor. "Most of them are petty things," he added.
