H e's long gone. It's pretty much a done deal. No use in tip-toeing around the future plans of Oregon junior running back Jonathan Stewart.

The Ducks running back smashed the Sun Bowl rushing record on Monday, picked up the most outstanding player hardware, and then Jonathan Stewart was asked if he was coming back for his senior season.

Stewart could have shut the door on the question, right there. He could have squashed speculation in front of a CBS audience. He could have used the opportunity to praise his teammates, and laud his coaches, and confirm for fans, and more importantly Ducks recruits, that he'll be in Oregon's huddle next season.

So what did he say?

"Right now, I'm living in the moment."

Ciao, kid.

It's been enjoyable to watch Stewart carry the ball, and thrilling to see him shed tacklers, and man, is he fast in the open field, or what? But if you watched his off-field moves before and after the Sun Bowl, you must know there's no mystery in where he's going and what he intends to do -- turn professional now.

None of us should give him an ounce of grief about it, either.

What?

You expected to read a column about the importance of getting your college degree? You figured I'd quote Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops who routinely tells reporters, "There's money to be made by coming back to college and improving your draft position"? You suspected I'd blast Stewart for bailing just as he became the centerpiece of a program that invested so much in him?

Just can't do it.

And you shouldn't either.

Consider that Stewart just witnessed a season in which teammates Jeremiah Johnson, Dennis Dixon and Brian Paysinger were lost to knee injuries. And Cameron Colvin broke an ankle.

It's time to stop pretending athletes go to college for college. It's time to stop calling them student-athletes. And even as well-meaning Oregon fans chanted at Stewart after the game, "One more year!" I wonder if they stopped to think about what they were really asking of him.

One more year of risking significant injury? One more year of taking classes that won't matter in his profession? One more year of working for free as a college athlete while his institution rakes in millions of dollars in television, ticket sales and merchandising revenue on his sweat?

I suppose Stewart could return to Oregon out of loyalty to fans and teachers and coaches. Maybe he could stick around and try to send a message about education to children. But isn't that message mostly the responsibility of parents? And don't those who attend college do so because it creates professional opportunities and personal growth? And also, isn't Stewart now standing at the gateway to his future?

Stewart is a student at the University of Oregon not because he liked the communications or business programs, but because he was big, fast and able to run over people with such skill that the Ducks gave him a scholarship.

He didn't come for the library, he came for the stadium. And the weight room, uniforms and state-of-the-art whirlpools. And because he figured, like every other major college running back, if things went right, he'd have a shot to chase his dream in the NFL.

Well, things went right enough to make Stewart a likely top 10 NFL pick.

He rushed for a Sun Bowl record 253 yards on Monday, pushing his Oregon single-season school record to 1,722 yards, the ninth-best in Pacific-10 Conference history. He's also second on the school's career rushing list with 2,891 yards.

On Monday, there was a line of salivating NFL scouts taking notes. Stewart is a lock as a first-round pick, and his signing bonus alone amounts to Powerball lottery winnings. The No. 10 pick in the 2007 draft, Texans defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, received a guaranteed $12.8 million -- about 267 times the national median annual household income.

After the final game of the season, Stewart neither confirmed, nor denied, nor answered, nor offended anyone in response to a question about his plans. He smiled. He laughed. He remained noncommittal -- allowing the Ducks to use a "Play alongside Jonathan Stewart" recruiting pitch -- all while being gracious.

It was a brilliant act.

Don't knock it.