ha ha If I were in his shoes, I'd have claimed to be coming back to avoid being a distraction pre-BCS game too, but I'd definitely be going pro. The average NFL career is about 3 years, or as LJ said before the season started... "NFL stands for Not For Long". If he's serious about getting his degree, he'll probably be free to pursue that dream again before he's 30 STOMP
While it was great for the Ducks, I thought/still think that LaMike was making a bad football decision by going back to Eugene for another season. If he didn't want to leave the family atmosphere and structure of the college game, I understand it, but from a pure football perspective, he has nothing to gain by going back to Eugene for another season. As much as I want him to stay, my head said he should go get his pro career started. As STOMP posted, there will be plenty of opportunity in the future to finish his degree.
Exactly. I think he should go pro because I don't want to see him get hurt next season with the Ducks and damage his chances at a pro career.
If he decides to enter the NFL draft does he go to the combines or does he run track again? I'd like to see him run track again.
Oregon will probably be favored to win the Pac-12 next year but a whole lot has to go right for them to go undefeated and in the final two... injuries, an errant bounce of the ball, some QB playing out of his mind, etc, could derail that dream. Oregon could also be left out of the big game TCU style if a couple other favored schools also go undefeated. I root for them to win the conference and go to the Rose Bowl. Anything beyond that is gravy. It's easy to be optimistic with what Chip has accomplished in his first two years though and it should be very interesting to see what these higher thought of recruiting classes do in his system... it seems they're getting major talent upgrades STOMP
Me too. I love LMJ and what he's done for the team, but I think it would have been best for him to move on and make room for the other guys. There's just so much talent in the backfield for Oregon right now. Maybe he thinks he can get the Heisman, but it sure seems unlikely for a RB to pull the votes (especially with Luck back next year as well).
It is a good problem to have (wealth of talent at RB). I want to see Lache especially. Tell you what though, we might be loaded at RB but you don't replace a LMJ. He's a home run threat every time he touches the rock, and although the offense can survive w/o him for a series or two (even a game or two) - we will see the difference over the long haul when he's not in the backfield. It opens things up for everyone else. He's Barry Sanders-esque for me, except LMJ can get the 4th and 2/short yardage better than any undersized back I've ever seen (with apologies to Warrick Dunn). Not to mention LMJ can catch the ball out of the backfield. No matter how much depth you have, you're always a better team with him in the line-up.
Don't get me wrong, I think LMJ was a great back, but I don't think he's THAT good. I think he's replaceable. I've seen a long line of great Ducks backs, and to me he's just another Droughns or Onterio Smith. I'm not convinced he wasn't just a product of the offense. I think he did great things for us this season, and I'm sure he'll continue to do great things next season, but I also think that Barner is just as capable. Let's not forget that James didn't do a whole hell of a lot in the championship game. If he was Barry Sanders we would have scored on 4th and goal.
no one could make a cut on that sloppy field I'm not saying it would have necessarily changed the outcome, but I truly think that pigsty cost the viewers an amazing back and forth offensive game STOMP
You're probably right. I completely forgot about that mess. And the worst part was that the grass was from Oregon.
isn't most grass seed grown in the Willamette Valley? It's not the grass's fault that it was sopping wet, thats completely on the people in charge of getting the field ready. It's Arizona where it barely ever rains and yet the field was like a slip and slide. Neither team could run the ball because nobody had decent footing STOMP
