Oregon Football: Arik Armstead Picks Ducks; Kelly Leaving Lasting Impact

On Sunday, Oregon received news that Arik Armstead had made his choice to play college football with the Ducks and with that commitment, the Ducks have truly shown how far they have come. 

As many Duck fans eased into the feel of the offseason and were enjoying the post-Rose Bowl glow, things got shook up quickly as news spread like wildfire that coach Chip Kelly was working on finalizing a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With that one announcement, not only did the 2012 season feel like it was in jeopardy, but so did the future of the Ducks program. 

A day after these reports surfaced, Kelly debunked those ideas and declared that while he appreciated the interest expressed, his heart was still in Oregon and he had unfinished business to attend to. 

With the announcement, it also became clear that Kelly needed to get busy with damage control on the recruiting trail. Teams in the Pac-12 were moving in and believed that they could leverage the coaches uncertainty with the Ducks.

Instead of just doing damage control, Kelly went on the attack and continued to go after big recruits that had not finalized their choice to this point. One of those players included Armstead.

Many believed that Armstead was a heavy Cal lean but as we learned yesterday, he was not only impressed by Kelly but wanted to be a part of the Oregon program. 

Armstead commented during his press conference that, "So many coaches say different things, or they say bad things about other programs. I’m really happy with my decision. Oregon’s a great school, a great program.”

What Kelly has done since becoming the head coach at Oregon is create a sense of family that recruits are buying into. Instead of using negative recruiting tactics, Kelly sells the player on the school and program rather than discrediting others.

Many Duck fans can remember a time in which the Ducks would have never had a shot at a recruit like Armstead, but lately this is becoming a trend for the Ducks as off the field changes are leading to on the field success. 

While Kelly and his personality have attracted the nation's top recruits, Kelly is making sure that he sets the program up for future success when his time at Oregon is through. For that, Duck fans should not only enjoy the present, but be thankful to Kelly for a bright future. 

Joe Penkala is a B/R National Featured Columnist who covers college football. You can contact him @joepenkala.