When Luke Jackson, a 6’7″ basketball superstar spies you from a distance while playing a game of pickup basketball and tells you to try out for the basketball team, you do it. However, when Luke Jackson spies you from a distance while playing a pickup game of basketball and tells you to try out for the football team, you wonder …
Stu Jackson was a member of the famous 1970s Ducks basketball team coined the “Kamikaze Kids” under head coach Dick Harter. Known for their aggressive, energetic play, the Kamikaze Kids became the foundation of “the Pit” and the crazy atmosphere in McArthur Court. After an impressive college career, Stu went on to be an assistant coach for the Ducks. He also …
The University of Oregon football team ended their bowl-game drought of 20 years by making it to the 1989 Independence Bowl. There were several players who helped to make the ’89 team successful: Bill Musgrave, Derek Loville, Terry Obee, Tony Hargain, Rory Dairy, Latin Berry and Chris Oldham. However, I believe there was a player on the defense who played a …
Oregon Duck fans everywhere can always be grateful that former Oregon assistant Nick Aliotti stretched the truth when Aliotti was recruiting high school quarterback Danny O’Neil in 1990. Twenty years ago, O’Neil led the Ducks to the Pac-10 championship and 1995 Rose Bowl game vs. Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions, and in that game O’Neil broke the Rose Bowl passing record …
The University of Oregon Ducks struggled in the early 1980’s under head coach Rich Brooks. They suffered through 2-9 seasons and even had a game in 1983 that became infamously known as the Toilet Bowl, the last 0-0 scoreless tie in NCAA history. Despite their struggles, the Ducks had several players that were able to make it to the NFL. …
The University of Oregon football team didn’t have the nationally ranked program or the impressive offense back in the 1980’s that it does now. In fact, the Ducks hadn’t even played in a bowl game for over twenty years until the 1989 Independence Bowl. However, there was a wide receiver who added plenty of flash to the program from 1987-1989 …
For a quarterback, the leap from high school or junior college to a major college football program is significant, and those veterans who have had two or three years in their offensive systems certainly benefit from their experience, while rookies may struggle to find footing early on. However, recent trends indicate that brand-new quarterbacks have enjoyed more success than their seasoned …
Good lead-off hitters are hard to find, but Oregon has a dandy in Alyssa Gillespie. Lead-off batters are vital to sparking an effective offense. Their mission: be aggressive and get on base at all costs; hit, bunt, get hit by a pitch, earn a walk; just get to first base. When the bases are empty, Gillespie is a slap hitter …
The oak tree has long been a symbol of strength, endurance, valor and accomplishment. These distinguished attributes signify the separation of the ordinary from the exceptional. A century of Oregon football has produced a grove of tall firs and mighty oaks, individuals whose roots vibrantly pulse beneath a lavish wildwood of virtue. The 2014 Oregon football team was just the latest embodiment of the fortitude of the oak, led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and surrounded by men of robust …
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 …
Marcus Mariota will participate in the 2015 NFL scouting combine as the most decorated football player in Oregon history. Thus begins the native Hawaiian’s arduous journey to the NFL. For three years, Mariota thrived in the no huddle, up-tempo Oregon offense, rolling out and extending plays, often racing past flat footed linebackers. But most NFL teams want pocket passers, quarterbacks comfortable making reads and capable of standing firm amidst …
In 1973 Stu Jackson, Ernie Kent, Greg Ballard and Greg Graham became the newest members of Dick Harter’s Kamikaze Kids. Jackson, an agile small forward and fan favorite, helped the Ducks gain national prominence with his mid-range jumper and quick slashing to the basket. Harter maintained strict discipline and midway through Jackson’s junior year, he was relegated to the bench …