Two Oregon players had separate run-ins with Springfield police in the early hours of Sunday, October 18. The police cited tight end Jamari Johnson for speeding at 3:51 a.m. About an hour later, wide receiver Evan Stewart was stopped on Highway 126 near Mohawk Boulevard and eventually booked on a DUII charge. With both names surfacing the same morning, many people wondered whether the two events were connected.

“Over the weekend, Oregon TE Jamari Johnson was cited for speeding in the Springfield Community,” KEZI 9 Sports reporter Brett Austin Taylor posted on X. “According to court records, the incident took place at 3:51 a.m. Sunday morning. Johnson will have to pay a $440 fine. Springfield Police have told me Johnson was not involved in the pursuit by SPD involving two other vehicles early Sunday morning.”

That last sentence is the one that matters most, and the fine was a standard presumptive for a Class A violation under Oregon law. But the story became bigger because of what else was happening in Springfield that night.

Johnson’s report carries the same case number as a separate high-speed pursuit involving two vehicles that police were investigating. This caused confusion because it looked like a shared story, but police were clear.

“He [Johnson] was not involved in the high-speed pursuit,” said Springfield Police Deputy Chief George Crolly. 

The ticket itself came with few details. It does not disclose how fast Johnson was allegedly driving, and Crolly declined to provide further information. So the $440 fine is the only penalty on record, and nothing reported suggests that the stop led to anything further.

On the same Sunday, around 5 a.m., an hour after Johnson’s police run-in, Stewart was stopped and was arrested as the officer found out there was cause for a DUII investigation. He was booked at the Springfield Municipal Jail around 7 a.m. and released to a third party about an hour later.

Earlier police reports said a group of Oregon football players left the nearby area after officers found an abandoned vehicle tied to the pursuit. Police have not named any Oregon player as a suspect in that case. It needs to be clear that neither Johnson nor Stewart was believed to be one of the suspected drivers, and the investigation into speeding vehicles is still ongoing.

So basically, ahead of Oregon’s game with Fighting Illini on October 24, two Oregon student-athletes were involved in a legal proceedings in the same city, on the same day, but at different times. 

Johnson’s standing on the team adds some context. He played two seasons at Louisville before transferring to Oregon, was a preseason All-American selection, and has 17 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns this season. 

He was not listed on Oregon’s availability report for the Illinois game, so he is presumed available. Stewart was on the list and will not be available due to an undisclosed injury. 

How does this play into Oregon’s trip to Illinois?

The timing is awkward for the Ducks as they visit Illinois in Champaign on Saturday, October 24, when they are already thin at key spots. Quarterback Dante Moore was listed as out on the availability report and is expected to miss a third straight game after a concussion against USC on September 26. 

Head Coach Dan Lanning said Moore attended practice and threw, but gave no return timeline and has not named a starter.

Stewart is also listed as out with an undisclosed injury, and he missed the 17-14 win over Nebraska on October 17 after catching a touchdown in each of his previous four games. This season, he has 27 catches for 352 yards and four touchdowns. 

Reports have raised concerns about possible disciplinary issues, but nothing has been confirmed regarding a suspension. Coach Lanning addressed the weekend during a Monday presser, without naming Stewart, and said the incident did not match the program’s standards.

“There will be appropriate action taken,” Lanning told reporters. “Still gathering some details on what that situation looks like. But that’ll be handled internally. I’m not gonna respond to any other questions about that. Gonna handle that with our guys.”

This is also the second DUII-related case tied to the Oregon Ducks this year. Running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples was charged with DUII and reckless driving in April after an alleged collision with a parked vehicle in Eugene. His next court date is October 27.

Oregon, ranked No. 25 in the country, is now 4-2. Illinois is 3-3 and has its own problems, with quarterback Katin Houser out with a broken throwing hand. 

Oregon can prepare for the football side of that game, but what it cannot prepare for is how the week gets read from the outside. Three student-athletes with police involvement in a year for the Ducks might be costly for the team’s offense.