This wasn't unexpected news, but it is still somewhat disappointing for a die hard Oregon fan like myself. LaMichael James will move on after the Rose Bowl Jan. 2.He'll sign a $2 million NFL contract and try to survive for three or four years in professional football, the average length of a running back's career in that violent world.
Good for him. The money will come in handy over the next fifty or sixty years.
James has been a good student and a fine representative of the university. A squabble with an ex-girlfriend got him in hot water before his sophomore season, but he's been standup ever since.
James broke into the Oregon lineup his redshirt-freshman year when LeGarrette Blount punched out a Boise State player and earned a season-long suspension for his trouble.
He didn't look back, leading Oregon to the 2009 Rose Bowl.
Last season, he carried Oregon all the way to the BCS National Championship game, rushing for over 1,700 yards and finishing third in the Heisman Trophy race.
This season, he rushed for over 200 yards four times and finished with 1,600 yards, despite missing two games with an arm injury.
His critics say he doesn't perform well against big, fast defenses, as happened against Ohio State and LSU in two of his biggest tests. My question is who does?
All James will need as a pro is a solid offensive line, because if he has an opening he's all speed. Yet, he's tougher than he looks.
His critics say he doesn't perform well against big, fast defenses, as happened against Ohio State and LSU in two of his biggest tests. My question is who does?
All James will need as a pro is a solid offensive line, because if he has an opening he's all speed. Yet, he's tougher than he looks.
LaMichael James is the greatest running back to ever play at Oregon.
He will be missed.
TS
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