Cliff Harris, the former All-American cornerback and returner for the Oregon Ducks, was arrested on Sunday morning and is facing charges relating to theft and drugs.
Harris’ latest arrest comes one year after he was sentenced to a year in jail and three years of probation after pleading no contest to a felony charge of arson after setting fire to a roadway median. The terms of Harris’ probation forbade him from using drugs, drinking alcohol and required that he attend drug treatment and counseling for his mental health.
His arrest late Saturday included a felony charge of violation of that probation, along with misdemeanor charges of theft, possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia. He was booked into Fresno County jail after 1 a.m. Sunday.
Harris, now 25-years old, was a star at Oregon; in just 27 games he set UO single-season records for his punt returns, including touchdowns (four), total yards (546) and average yards (18.8) during Oregon’s run to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship game in 2010.
He also had issues at Oregon. Harris was suspended for the start of the 2011 season for a violation of team rules after his car was stopped for traveling 118 mph with a suspended license. When the officer who pulled Harris over told him he smelled of marijuana, Harris replied, “We smoked it all.” He was later dismissed from the program in December 2011.
Harris was briefly in the NFL in 2012 as a free agent signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, but his career ended in May 2013 after he was arrested for marijuana possession while in New Jersey; he was on the New York Jets roster at the time and was cut the next day.
source: Oregon Live
