Next to jaywalking, a speeding ticket is usually cited as the most harmless infraction on the books ? something's probably wrong with you if you�don't rack up a couple over the years. Not so with�Cliff Harris' latest speeding ticket, which has begun to unravel his short-term future in equal and opposite proportion to the force he put on the accelerator. Since being cited early Sunday morning for driving 118 in a 65-mph zone with a suspended license, Oregon's All-America cornerback/kick returner has reportedly missed a court date, sparked an internal investigation into the car he was driving and added to a staggering sum in unpaid fines.
As of Wednesday afternoon, he's also suspended for the rest of the summer and arguably the biggest game of the Ducks' season on Sept. 3:
EUGENE, Ore. ? University of Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris has been suspended indefinitely from the Ducks' foot-ball program following last weekend's incident that included citations for driving at excessive speeds and driving with a suspended license, head football coach Chip Kelly announced Wednesday. Kelly added that the suspension includes Harris sitting out a minimum of Oregon's 2011 season opener vs. LSU.
Kelly emphasized that the Fresno, Calif., native's status following the Sept. 3 game in Arlington, Texas' Cowboys Stadium would be dependent on his adhering to standards set forth by the University's football program. He added that the sanctions imposed upon Harris were based upon the information currently available surrounding more than just a single event, and were independent of any legal rulings or potential violation of NCAA rules that have yet to be determined.
The suspension robs Oregon of one of the most explosive return threats and cover men in the country ? Harris is on every preseason All-America team after leading the Pac-10 in both interceptions and return touchdowns as a sophomore, and widely expected to go in the first round of the NFL draft as soon as next year ?�in one of the most anticipated showdowns of the year. (Oregon was also without one of its brightest stars for the 2010 opener, but hardly needed running back LaMichael James to crush hapless New Mexico at home. LSU in Dallas is a slightly different story.) But the fallout for team and player extends far beyond one game.
For Harris, additional fines from his missed court date on Tuesday ?�the last day of a two-week grace period before the court can take action following his last missed court date, on May 31 ? brings his tab to more than $8,500 for at least 11 outstanding fines in Oregon and his hometown of Fresno, Calif., since September 2008. The offenses range from operating without a license or insurance to speeding to possession of alcohol as a minor, and the numbers continue to grow with interest since being sent to a private collection agency. The fine on last weekend's speeding citation alone is reportedly upwards of $1,500.
For Oregon, Harris' wild ride could cost the team one of its best players and�possibly result in additional sanctions with Tuesday's revelation that the rented Nissan Altima he was driving when he received the ticket was borrowed from a university employee, who turned over the keys to Harris and two unidentified teammates (who were not cited) almost immediately after driving the car off the rental lot last Friday. Oregon has already opened an investigation to determine whether the car constituted an improper benefit under NCAA rules, and confirmed that the employee ? who works in the university's business office, not the athletic department, and is not a girlfriend or any other relation to Harris, according to her interview with a local TV station ?�did rent the car for personal use.
At best, Oregon will escape serious heat from the NCAA because Harris and his teammates reportedly paid the woman at least $300 before taking the car off her hands, and Harris will escape serious heat from various agencies by coming up with some way to pay off the fines. At worst, Harris will be ruled ineligible for accepting an extra benefit from an institutional employee or representative and suspended for more games ?�possibly the entire season ?�and/or will face serious legal repercussions for his unpaid fines. Either way, Oregon's odds of returning to the BCS title game just got a little longer.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
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