Ashley Young interviewed Tony Washington at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex this morning for FishDuck.com.
Wow. Two games left in regular season … can it really almost be over? This Saturday is the last game of the 2014 season in Autzen Stadium, but more importantly it’s the seniors last game in Autzen stadium.
This weekend our Ducks will face the Colorado Buffaloes and hopefully end with a win and leave Autzen on a great note. When talking to Washington this morning, he was asked if it has hit him yet that this is his last game in Autzen. “Yeah, but I’m not really the type to focus on just one game … These last two games are just as important as any other game.”
I love that our Ducks play like that. No game is of more or less importance than another. As a former athlete, the last game of your career on the field you’ve been so familiar with for the last four years of your life, isn’t easy. Washington was asked what he is going to miss the most about Autzen and he said, “The energy, the vibe, the support and the feeling you get running down that tunnel.”
That tunnel … some of my favorite pictures of our Ducks come from the midst of that tunnel. I want you to imagine for a second that you are in that tunnel … In the distance, you can hear the fans roaring. It gets a little bit louder the closer you get, you can see that beautiful green field ahead of you. Your teammates are all jumping around in anticipation — and you have a tunnel-vision of your own and that is to do your job for your team that day. You start running out with your teammates surrounding you with the same tunnel vision and as you all fully emerge onto the field the crowd gets so loud with excitement you go deaf to all sound except the roaring of your beloved fans.
That is how I imagine it feels coming out of the tunnel. In my eyes, Autzen Stadium is a whole different world and I am in love with it. Just like Washington said, the energy, the vibe, the support … It’s amazing. I wish our senior Ducks the best in their final game on that field this Saturday and appreciate the hard work, time and dedication each senior has put into the program.
Fans, my question to you is, what senior will you miss seeing on that Autzen field the most?
Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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McKalie Bellew just moved to Oregon from Arizona. She is a sophomore at Lane Community College and moved here to pursue her dream of studying Sports Journalism and Broadcasting at the University of Oregon. Her passion for sports is admirable and her determination and hunger for success in the sports field is fascinating; if you ever have the chance to talk to McKalie face-to-face about sports, you’ll know how much she loves these games just by the way her eyes light up during the conversation. When unable to attend Ducks home games you can find her in front of a television on the edge of her seat, cheering her crazed-fan-head off. McKalie appreciates your feedback and constructive-criticism to help her become a better writer and reporter.