Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out My first direct contact with a big-time football coach came in fall of 1966 when John Robinson — then an assistant at Oregon — blessed us incoming freshmen swimmers with a pep talk. It was all about what a great athletic family the Ducks were. With a fist waving in the air, Robinson declared that when you …
With the departure of linebacker Tony Washington, Oregon’s linebacking corps needs a new leader. Redshirt senior Rodney Hardrick has the ability to become that leader. I met up with Hardrick to discuss what the future of Oregon’s linebackers looks like. Daniel: It is a very young linebacking crew with [Tony] Washington gone. What are the young guys doing in order to get ready? …
It’s hard to argue that the biggest standout of Oregon’s Spring Game was two-way player Charles Nelson. The sophomore’s speed and athleticism was felt on both sides of the ball, dazzling more than 35,000 fans in attendance. Head coach Mark Helfrich praised Nelson after the game, impressed by his knowledge and leadership for such a young player. “He was out there lining …
When Marcus Mariota was leading the Ducks, everything seemed fine and dandy. Last season rolled along, with much success coming for our men in green and yellow, and black and pink, and white and gray, etc. Towards the end of the season, rumors of Braxton Miller transferring to the other dominant ‘O’ were swirled around, but nothing came of it. In the weeks recovering …
In 1936, the University of Oregon constructed Howe Field adjacent to MacArthur Court and Hayward Field. For nearly 80 years, this local gem sparkled alongside Oregon’s growing jewelry box of shimmering athletic monuments. Saturday afternoon, in the second to last game at the historic ballpark, the No. 2 Oregon Ducks softball team polished the diamond with a convincing 9-0 run-rule win over visiting No. 18 California Golden Bears in front of …
Football is back, baby. Sure it was just the Spring Game but, hey, we’ll take it! In the annual classic, Team Oregon (White) faced off against Team Pathway (Green). A full list of the rosters can be found here. While it was certainly no regular season game, players came out hard and fast. It was the team’s first game without many …
With the Tennessee Titans drafting everyone’s favorite Hawaiian quarterback, many Ducks’ fans were disappointed that Chip Kelly didn’t succeed in trading up for Marcus Mariota. Some are simply annoyed they didn’t get their favorite player and coach on the same NFL team, while others are worried for Mariota’s future by his going to a bad team like the Titans. The thing is, …
It has to get tiresome for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He steps to the microphone to announce draft picks and gets booed. Sure he handled the Adrian Peterson case with all the finesse of a jackhammer going through creme brulee. Sure he waffled so many times during the Ray Rice case that the 2015 NFL season is sponsored by Bisquick. You bet …
For a team that was ranked in the Top 10 in preseason, the Ducks are in a position few expected in February. With 16 games remaining, the Ducks need to win at least 10 in order to have a chance at making the playoffs. They have fallen short of preseason expectations, but have showed great resilience, finding ways to win …
Within the last year, and especially within the last three months, there has been a lot of speculation about where Marcus Mariota would end up in the NFL draft. Multiple scenarios swirled around as the draft began to get closer and closer. No team was mentioned more than the Philadelphia Eagles, due to the fact that Chip Kelly (the person …
Last night, despite trade speculation with many teams, the Tennessee Titans drafted Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota is now on his way to Tennessee to be introduced to the media, and it appears this pick will stick. “Every minute we spent with him it just felt better and better,” Titans general …
Day 1 of the NFL draft is in the books, and Arik Armstead has found a familiar home in San Francisco with the 49ers. Armstead was taken 17th in the first round by the Niners, with the intention of replacing major holes left in their defense from the offseason. My first thought is that I owe a friend of mine 20 bucks, …