In college football today we often expect our athletes to be involved with a second sport. Lamichael James, Kenjon Barner, De’Anthony Thomas, and Devon Allen all have participated in track and field. There are rare athletes that take this a step further and take on more than just football and track. For example, we have Liz Brenner and her mission to participate in every sport at Oregon. However, before these multi-sport stars, we had Jordan Kent.
Kent anchors the relay team.
Coming locally out of Churchill High School, Kent started out as a track star. He came to Oregon to run track, as he was a gifted sprinter and he knew that Eugene was Track Town USA.
While sticking to a single sport would be good enough for most athletes, it wasn’t for Kent. With his father being basketball coach Ernie Kent, he joined the basketball team as a role player.
During his first two years of college athletics, Kent developed into an all-American track star in the 200 meters, and was the anchor of the 4×100 relay.
He also became a force on defense in basketball, as he used his track speed to keep pace with any player. This led him to being named the defensive MVP for Oregon.
Even though he had become a standout athlete in both sports, this was not enough as he joined the football team his junior year.
Kent hauling in the pass.
At first Kent was viewed as very raw with unlimited upside. He had never played football before deciding to join Oregon. However at 6’4″, weighing close to 220 pounds, and being able to run a 4.4 40, he was perfect to become a wide receiver.
Although Kent only played in three games, his talent was obvious. In those three games, he had three receptions, one touchdown and a 39-yard average per reception.
With all the success Kent experienced, he became the first three-sport letter winner at Oregon since WWII. However, for his senior year Kent had a decision to make.
He could continue on in all three sports, or he could specialize in the one that gave him a shot at a pro career. It was for this reason that Kent decided not to participate in basketball in the 05-06 season, and instead focused on football.
With his rare size and speed, Kent just had to show scouts that he could produce in order to get a shot with a pro team.
Choosing football over basketball proved to be a good choice, as Kent was second on the team with 44 receptions. Also, he did not give up track and was able to anchor the first ever Oregon Pac-10 title in the 4×100 relay. This led to Kent being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the NFL draft.
While his NFL career was relatively short, he will be remembered as one of the greatest athletes, as well as one of the greatest Ducks, this program has ever had.
What better way to relive the accomplishments of this great Duck than getting the Mighty Oregon DVD ? Relive how Kent developed from a simple raw athlete into an NFL draft pick.
Featured photo by Geoff Thurner
Inspired by the Mighty Oregon DVD
Find more on the development of Jordan Kent and other athletes at
http://www.mightyoregondvd.com/
Born and raised in Springfield, Oregon, I am a Lifelong Duck fan. I have been following the football team since the Joey Harrington years. I am a senior at the University of Oregon, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration. I am also a former member of the University of Oregon cheer team, which has allowed me to travel to the past four bowl games and the inaugural college football playoff. I am always the one asking my friends if they have heard the latest sports-related news, and am the one who usually ends up informing them on the subject. I look forward to talking with my new friends about the latest sports news.