Anthony Trucks was a two-year starting strong safety and linebacker for Oregon from 2002 – 2005. You might remember him for this play – ripping the ball away from Adrian Peterson at the goal line in the 2005 Holiday Bowl. The Ducks lost to the Sooners that day 17-14, only to get their revenge the next fall in one of the most legendary and memorable games in Ducks history.
Trucks sits at No. 10 on the all-time sack list in school history with 18 and is tied for third in a single season with 11. Following his days at Oregon, Trucks went on to play in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. Trucks recently held an open Q&A on the social media platform Reddit, giving great insight into what life is really like for many of our beloved Ducks both before, during and after their playing experience. Trucks has started his own ergonomics consulting business as well as a public speaking firm. More information can be found at anthonytrucks.com. Here are the highlights of the January 21 interview:
Reddit: What are your thoughts on paying college athletes?
Trucks played for three NFL teams.
Trucks: As for paying college athletes I am all for it. We don’t make enough money playing while the schools get tons of money off tickets, endorsements, our jersey sales, etc., leaving us with very little time to even get a job to make extra money. I thinks it’s only fair to reap some of the financial benefit that the colleges make off of us. Not a lot, just a little. You receive a scholarship in order to help better the program (read: the school’s product that they can sell) I am beyond grateful for having my school paid for and having the opportunities that I had.
Reddit: Why do you think the Ducks’ defense disintegrated the way it did in the national title game against Ohio State?
Trucks: I think the sheer size overpowered us in time. We couldn’t get the ball moving on offense and it made the defensive get beat down over time due to so much time spent on the field.
Reddit: What’s life like after the NFL? Do you have any desire to go into coaching college?
Trucks: Life after the NFL is crazy, man. It’s harder because we enter the real world without any work experience and most guys have horribly huge egos. It makes the transition really tough actually. I got to a low in life at one point. The real world is no joke. I don’t think I would ever go into coaching. I love the game, but I have a lot more to share with the world and it would be hard if I were coaching.
Reddit: What was your most memorable part of getting recruited?
Trucks: My most memorable part was being flown in Oregon’s private jet up to the school.
Reddit: What movie or show would you say best captures the college/pro lifestyle?
Ngata is strong
Trucks: Do they have a show where you sit at home icing your body playing call of duty? And then head to work/class half asleep. Because most of the shows really sensationalize what people think we do.
Reddit: What’s the hardest part about transitioning from college football and the pros?
Trucks: The transition is tough because were not given tools to succeed in the “real world.” We don’t usually do internships, have friends who are in regular jobs, have work experience, etc. So we’re dropped into a world where the skills we’ve honed in a “professional” sense are rendered all but useless. That’s why a lot of us turn to sports or fitness training, and coaching, because it’s all we know sometimes. I personally wanted to create something that was great for everyone and not have to piggyback so hard on my football days, so it was even harder.
Reddit: Strongest person you’ve seen in college? Professional? Best overall athlete? Hardest hitter?
Trucks: Strongest person in college I saw was Haloti Ngata and Igor Olshansky. Professional would be Chris Hovan. Best overall athlete was when I played with Sean Taylor. Dude was a monster and ridiculously fast. He covered ground unlike anyone I had ever seen. Hardest hitters: James Harrison and Chris Kemoeatu.
You can read the interview with Trucks in its entirety here.
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Living literally walking distance from Husky Stadium in the heart of Husky country, Adam is a passionate Duck fan originally from Salem, Oregon. Adam is a long-time season ticket holder and owner of no less than five Duck jerseys he proudly rotates and wears to work every Friday during the fall. Adams works as an Account Executive in the Cloud Software business and in his spare time, hangs out with his wife Rachael and daughter Addison. Go Ducks!