Seeing Haloti Ngata perform the Tongan War Dance in Portland on July 13th is only one reason among many to join me at a dinner with the Oregon Athlete Foundation. The $100.00 donation for the event helps you learn more about all the different ways the OAF supports former UO student-athletes, including the Spread Your Wings job program. Part of the …
Your All-Time Top 10: Oregon Football Edition
At the University of Oregon, football is a great tradition. The Ducks are now known to be a powerhouse in the Pac-12, finishing second with a record of 9-3 last year. The Ducks have produced special players since the beginning of the football program in the late 1890s. Every year Oregon recruits players around the country with hopes they will take the team far …
How DeForest Buckner Passed All Others – a Look Back at the 2012 Recruiting Cycle for Defensive Linemen
The 2012 recruiting class for college football was full of stellar defensive line prospects that had big dreams and huge hopes of becoming the next legend for the school that each prospect signed to play for. DeForest Buckner (DeFo) was not an exception when the 6-foot-7 inch Hawaiian declared to play at the University of Oregon. He had many options …
Oregon Football Recruiting Analysis: An Inside Look at Defensive Tackle
Finding an elite defensive tackle is difficult for most college programs. Most high-end prospects are found somewhere in the southeast region of the United States. Pulling one from the South to, say, Eugene, Oregon, is a significant challenge. Oregon rarely gets a serious look from elite tackle recruits, so when a blue-chipper mentions Oregon among his top ten schools, the fans get a …
Fans Interview Former Duck Anthony Trucks on Reddit
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 …
Ducks have come a long way since the Seattle Bowl
I have lived in the Seattle area since 1998. In 2002, I joined over 38,000 others to watch the Ducks finish a disappointing season in the Seattle Bowl. Remember the Seattle Bowl? It only existed for two years, so you might have missed it if you were traveling overseas, not born yet or taking a nap. I remember four things …
Recruiting Update: Nephew of Ngata Bringing Island Thunder?
Football Recruiting News Last week, following the first day of spring practice, Oregon head man Mark Helfrich was asked if there was a chance of adding players who had not yet signed with the program in February. “That’s always a possibility,” said Helfrich. “There are always a couple [of irons in] the fire that way.” Not more than 72 hours …
Former Player Tribute: Secret Success to a Big Man on Campus
In football, a strong and fast offensive line is key to a team’s success. The entire front must be strong enough to block for the backs, creating running room and giving the quarterback enough time to think. Especially in Oregon’s renowned spread offense, where it’s a physically daunting task, and easily taken for granted by many fans. All too often, spectators …
Tyner Looms As Next Five-Star Challenge
I have often wondered how big-time schools like USC can get so many five-star recruits, and limit them under their star potential. For the most part, players earn their stars for a reason, but it is up to the coaches to make them realize that talent. I would like to highlight some ups and downs of past Oregon five star …
Oregon Can’t Put Players Into the NFL? Ducks in the Super Bowl
College programs love to negatively recruit regarding Oregon and how “they don’t put players into the NFL.” But even a power outage couldn’t keep this Super Bowl full of Ducks from participating in possibly the greatest Super Bowl in NFL history. In a 34-31 Ravens victory over the Niners, Duck fans probably had mixed feelings on which team they wanted …
Oh How we Love to Learn About Our Beloved…San Francisco 49ers?
Its Super Bowl Sunday tomorrow, friends. The only game of the year where the pregame is roughly three times the length of the game and your wife shushes you so she can hear the commercials. It’s the game that sells more beer than any other five games put together and you can bet on whether Beyonce will show cleavage during …