For an organization to work, the rules and policies have to be clear and consistent.
On Tuesday Dan Lanning addressed the Jurrion Dickey suspension, telling Zachary Neel of Ducks Wire and the rest of the media:
"We've got two team rules: be respectful and be on time. There are some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us, and we needed a break from him, so we can focus on what's in front of us right now. Wishing him nothing but the best as far as success, and I want to see him get back to where he could be a contributor."
Dickey is indefinitely suspended.
There's no confusion about the standard. There's consistency and discipline. Dickey has a path back to the team, but there's no laxity, favoritism or lowering of the bar.
The redshirt sophomore from East Palo Alto, California and Menlo-Atherton High School was a 5-star prospect in 2023, a big receiver at 6-2, 213 with the speed and body control to be a top wideout in the conference.
Physically, Dickey is a match for Jeremiah Smith or many of the other big-body wideouts in college football, but after two seasons, he's made two catches for 14 yards, languishing third on the depth chart at Y receiver.
The frustration boiled over. Reports indicated that there have been a series of on-field incidents involving fighting with teammates and arguing with coaches. Injuries slowed his progress.
Dickey has a path back to the team, and how he responds to this represents a crossroads in his life, a decision point. In the era of the Transfer Portal and NIL there's always an easy way out. It will be interesting to see whether the young man chooses a fresh start or amends and a renewed commitment. It's his decision.
Two weeks ago at Oregon Media Day Dickey said, "I feel like our brotherhood is really big. I feel like this is going to take us to a different opportunity." Brotherhood comes with a price and an obligation.
With consequences.
A team has to have shared goals and a shared purpose. On Tuesday, Dan Lanning stood up for that, in a way that will make the program stronger. As for Jurrion, we've all been to a place where we needed to reset, where frustrations got the best of us and we've felt stuck in patterns and behaviors that just weren't working.
It's what you do next that makes all the difference. I'd love to write a comeback story in another few weeks.