LeGarrette Blount Fallout: One Punch Is All It Takes

LeGarrette Blount was ready to make this season one of his most memorable. He surely has created that attention and buzz all around college football, except it was for all the wrong reasons.

Blount lost his head after having a terrible game in Boise, and he physically punched defensive end Byron Hount to the ground. There is no reason that justifies that course of action after a loss. Even if Hount said something that was considered trash talking, a full-out blow to an opponent's jaw is inexcusable and quite dangerous.

Coming into this season, Blount was one of the most discussed backs in the country. He had a great junior season for the Ducks and was expected to be a dominant player in the backfield. He had three carries for minus-eight yards on Thursday night and obviously was visibly upset at the end of the game.

ESPN's Todd McShay had Blount rated among the top five running backs, and a possible second- or third-round NFL Draft pick depending how he did this season. Well, the sad part is now his season is over. This one punch resulted in a suspension for the rest of the season.

Blount's playing days as an Oregon Duck and collegiate football player are over. The most disturbing part of this entire story is how Blount acted out after he knocked Hount to the turf.

He went after his own teammates when they tried to restrain him. Then, as he was walking into the tunnel, he got into it with Boise State fans. Luckily, coaches and security officers were able to apprehend him before a Ron Artest incident occurred.

This act is one of the most upsetting scenes in recent college football history. How does a player lose his head like that? I realize it was a big loss, but the actions Blount took were frightening and downright wrong. Nothing can explain what was going on in his head, no matter what someone thinks.

Blount did apologize after the game and stood up for his actions, but that was clearly not enough. The Pac-10 and Oregon football program came down hard and had to send a strict message that this is not acceptable under any circumstances in college football.

This leaves Oregon coach Chip Kelley without one of his best offensive weapons. For a new coach, he is now put in one of the worst possible positions. Oregon will move on and try and compete to win football games, but Blount will have no part in that.

One punch is all it takes. The actions on the field during this dispute have caught nationwide attention. Now this season is all of what could have been for Blount. That is the punishment he must live with. 

Whether it is right or wrong is another tough question. The action that Oregon athletics took was what it deemed necessary for the success of its program and the rest of college football moving forward.