This child of the football-crazed deep South left behind the SEC and ACC, not to mention sweet tea, red velvet cake, warm sunshine and his family, to carry a football in the region of Birkenstocks, granola and rain.

Watching LeGarrette Blount run over and around flailing Oregon defenders during spring practices -- thereby easing concerns over the departure of first-round NFL draft pick Jonathan Stewart -- it's impossible not to wonder how this elusive, 6-foot-2, 230-pound running back got away from the southern regional powers that coveted him, such as Alabama and Florida State, which were far closer to his hometown of Perry, Fla. ESPN "U"