Sounds wild doesn’t it? A sixth year senior can still have three years left of college football eligibility? Yet it is true for Cam McCormick, the 6’4″ 259 lb. tight end from Bend, although he has not made up his mind how long he will continue his career at Oregon. For now–he is simply grateful to be on the field.
My friends, I wasn’t planning on an article today, but I do enjoy pondering an occasional subject and discussing it with you in the comments. McCormick’s story is amazing and I learned a ton from the article in the Eugene Register-Guard written by Chris Hanson as the story is worthy of our Duck-Dialogue.
The picture above is from the opening game against Bowling Green and he was injured later in the game. It began three years of surgeries that were brought about in a most unexpected way; hardware malfunctions involving the screws holding his ankle together….twice. Often we assume that some players are just injury-prone, but a failure of medical equipment two times is bad luck that this native Oregonian did not deserve.
Cam McCormick could make the tough catch even as a redshirt freshman versus Arizona in 2017.
Last December he had the final surgery that appears to be holding up well, and his timing for joining the team is most propitious. Cam was a superb blocker and most of the tight ends for the Ducks are either receiver-types or quite young. Having McCormick showing the “lads” how to double-team with the tackle is going to benefit the running attack enormously. I’m sure CJ Verdell is looking forward to the perimeter blocking from No. 84!
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So how does a 23 year old grad student still have three years remaining? It is due to the medical redshirt rules and because the 2020 Covid year was a “do-over” allowed to all players. Thus he is actually a sophomore in football eligibility! I was stunned to see that when he was recruited during his senior year in high school it was 2015, and he signed his LOI in February of 2016 … a long time ago. He was also offered by UCLA, Washington and Michigan who, like Oregon, had different coaches at the time he signed than now.
I also have to give big-props to Coach Mario Cristobal for having the patience to give this earnest young man a chance. So many coaches would want to “hurry-along” what appears to be an injury snake-bitten player like McCormick, yet the staff stuck with him. I am thankful they did as it makes us all feel wonderful about our team and coaches.
So many things to be grateful for as…
“Oh how we love to ponder about Our Beloved Ducks!”
Charles Fischer (Mr. FishDuck)
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 35 years and has written reports on football boards for over 23 years. Known as “FishDuck” on those boards, he is acknowledged for providing intense detail in his scrimmage reports and in his Xs and Os play analyses. He and his wife Lois, have a daughter Christine, reside in Eugene Oregon, where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years and now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations.
He does not profess to be a coach or analyst, but simply a “hack” that enjoys sharing what he has learned and invites others to correct or add to this body of Oregon Football! See More…
