Cop video shows Oregon star going 118 mph

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From Comcast SportsNetWednesday, August 17, 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Video taken by a police dashboard camera shows Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas was a passenger in the car when cornerback Cliff Harris was cited for driving 118 mph in June.Also in the video, obtained by KATU television in Portland, officer Ray Stallsworth asks Harris if there is marijuana in the car, and someone is heard responding what sounds like, "we smoked it all," which the officer repeats.But Harris denies there are any drugs in the car and later indicates it was another passenger -- not Thomas -- who was smoking the marijuana.Harris passed a field sobriety test and ultimately was cited for driving with a suspended license in a car rented by a university employee. No one else was cited in the traffic stop.Harris' family paid 1,620 in fines for the citation earlier this month.Oregon coach Chip Kelly suspended Harris indefinitely following the incident. Harris will not play in the Ducks' season opener on Sept. 3 against LSU.Harris has been practicing with the team during fall camp. Kelly has said his status would be dependent on adherence to the football program's rules.The school's compliance office was looking into the matter to see if any NCAA rules were broken when the employee allowed Harris to use the rental car.In the police video, Harris said he borrowed the car from a girlfriend.As a sophomore last season, Harris had six interceptions and set an Oregon record with four punt returns for touchdowns. He became known not just for his explosive speed, but for his colorful personality. Harris used the term "The Natty" when describing the BCS national championship game.Harris was driving the rented Nissan Altima when he was pulled over about 4:35 a.m. on June 12 near Albany, Ore., north of Eugene. When the Oregon State Police first reported the citation, Thomas was not identified as a passenger in the car.Kelly said Tuesday that Thomas would not be disciplined."I'm not punishing someone for being a passenger," Kelly said.It's not the first time Thomas has been a passenger in a car driven by an Oregon player who has faced trouble.Thomas was also with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli when he was pulled over last summer for a traffic infraction and marijuana was found in the car. Masoli, who had earlier pleaded guilty on an unrelated burglary charge, was dismissed from the team by Kelly.Kelly said he believes Harris, who told the officer in the dashboard video that the marijuana was his cousin's."I saw (on video) Cliff go through a sobriety test that the OS officer let him go on," Kelly said. "He wasn't charged with that."

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