Highest Bidder!: Coaches and Players Loyalty for Sale

While the USC faithful have been celebrating the firing of Lane Kiffin, few realize how many people are affected when the head ball coach gets his walking papers.
In my FIRST position meeting in Jacksonville, my tight end coach Alfredo Roberts introduced me to the NFL. He said, “When teams don’t win in sports, two things happen, coaches get fired or players get fired. The coaches just got fired, so guess who is next if we don’t play well.”. In the world of college and professional sports everything boils down to two things, winning/losing and money. Good players are released or traded because they make too much. The NCAA continues to find additional revenue streams to make money from athlete’s likeness. Coaches aren’t fired because they have too many years and too much money left on their contract.
Ever wonder why coaches win and continue to ask for additional years to their contract? Head coaches typically have a guaranteed contracts, unless they get fired for “cause”. FYI, losing is not “cause”. You have to pull a Bobby Petrino (Arkansas) or Mike Rice (Rutgers) to get fired without pay. The head coach gets all the praise with wins, and all the blame when you lose. But, it is nice to be the head man because when you get fired with years left on your contract, you have a golden parachute. If I were a head coach, sign me through the 2025-26 season.
When coaches like Lane Kiffin, Norv Turner, Rick Neuheisel, or Lovie Smith don’t live up to

expectations and are fired, they leave with some financial security. They often have assistant coaches who are doing a great job, but they typically get thrown out with the head coach. You could be the best tight end coach in the world, but when the head man goes, so do you.

Assistant coaches and their families are affected the most. Most assistants make peanuts compared to the head coaches salary.  Even when the head coach doesn’t get fired, they often change assistants through the years (for various reasons). There is NO job security. Assistant coaches are typically journeyman until they get the job security of being the head coach. Most never achieve their dream, and are tied to finding job with the guys they have worked with in the past who get jobs. Their families are drug across country searching for stability and their dreams to come true. As much as assistant coaches love the game, they are no different than any other husband/father. They are using their particular set of skills to provide a comfortable, and stable life for their families. Since 1999, when I graduated high school, Alfredo has had a job every year because he is a GREAT tight end coach, but has made stops at Florida Atlantic, Jaguars, Browns, Buccaneers, and is currently at the Colts. He has a wife and kids, but the only roots he can put down are the roots on his coaching tree. Imagine every year, win or lose, not knowing if you will have a job. Imagine the stress it puts on your wife, children, friendships, and families to move from place to place for years, just hoping for the day you land the big job.
According to USA today, “The average major-college football assistant coach now earns roughly $200,000, a USA TODAY Sports analysis finds”. The list of the top 124 college coaches 2012 salaries and their assistants totals is very interesting.
Next time you wonder why there is very little loyalty in sports, know why. If you were a coach would you be loyal to a program or team that will throw you out without notice? Or would you continue to look for the best available opportunities until you optimize your personal goals, and maximize your family’s happiness?
A pro coach’s dream career should look like this: Get a position as a quality control coach for an NFL team, do well and a position coaches job opens up on that staff, someone recognizes you as a young talent and you land a coordinator job, your offense/defense is tops in the league for 2 years, an owner takes a huge leap of faith and hires you NFL coaching job with not head coaching experience, win a bunch of games, win a Super Bowl, get a long term contract, get fired with 3 years left on your deal, ride off into the sunset and have fun being a grandpa, and hold seminars and mentor new young coaches.
A college coach’s dream: Get a position coach job in college, someone recognizes you as a young talent and takes a huge risk on you as a coordinator, you have great success and land a head coaching job at a mid level division 1, beat some big teams and go to bowl games, get a job a big school who has been struggling, build the school into a powerhouse, get a NFL coaching job, win a Super Bowl, get a long term contract, get fired with 3 years left on your deal, ride off into the sunset and have fun being a grandpa, and hold seminars and mentor new young coaches.
Coaches have to look out for themselves and do what is best for their families. That type of system trickles down to the players. So when your favorite player changes team, just realize it is part of the cycle. Loyalty is sports is bought, and it usually only lasts until someone else has a bigger, better deal for you. Is your loyalty for sale?

Pushing Chip Kelly Out the Door: Open Letter to the “Anonymous Boosters”

 

I was scrolling through my twitter feed and could not believe my eyes when I saw this post in USA Today… ‘Anonymous Oregon Boosters want Chip Kelly gone.‘ 
 
 
This could be one of the more troubling things I have EVER read about my Ducks. Everyone knows I bleed Oregon Ducks green and yellow… and black and gray… and white and carbon fiber and (of course) chrome. I hope I speak for all the Duck faithful when I say to these “anonymous boosters”:   Get on board with the program AND CHIP KELLY or find another team to booster for! 
 
Have you forgotten where we came from?  We have won 3 of the last 4 PAC-12 titles and been to 4 consecutive BCS bowl games. Oregon was an afterthought in the world of powerhouses in college football. Oregon is now arguably the BIGGEST brand in the NCAA. But you want to get rid of the coach because he doesn’t want to play golf with you or pretend to be your friend?  Get over yourself.  Chip Kelly is 45-7.  That’s over 85%. Find a coach with a better record than that. While you’re at it, find another coach who is revolutionizing the way college football is played.  I’ll wait… You can’t!!! I do understand that Chip can be short and keep things very close to the vest. That can be very frustrating at times but what do you want more?  A football coach building a powerhouse… or a politician?  You are the people that cause empires to fall and potential greatness to be ruined.  There will be a day Chip leaves and we will use our “next man up” attitude but what sense does it make to try and push him out the door now? This is absolutely absurd.

“Anonymous Boosters”:  You are selfish, self-serving, cowardice, and do NOT have the program’s best interest at heart. You must be solely concerned with feeding your own ego and show off to your friends that you are friends with the coach. If you are going to make bold statements that could be damaging to the program, don’t hide behind the shield of anonymity.  Stand behind the words you speak. Before you do, however, be sure to realize that we are in the thick of a recruiting battle for the nation’s best players. As a recruit, the LAST thing you want to think is that the coach may leave. When I was being recruited from high school, the ONLY reason I did not go to Arizona is that I knew Coach Tomey would be fired. 
 
I LOVE the University of Oregon and I hang on every snap of the game whether we are up by 5 or 55.  You are a booster.  Deep down, you do love the program…  but you have clearly lost your way. I really hope you come to your senses and stop tearing down the program that so many people have spent 2 decades building. Let’s get back on the same page.  Let’s support our coach and commit to doing everything possible to win a National Championship. If you cannot do that…  on behalf of Oregon fans, players (past, present, & future), and alumni… We don’t want Chip Kelly gone. We want YOU gone. #GoDucks
 
 
Sincerely,
 
George Fredrick Wrighster, III
TE ’99-’02

Tyrann Mathieu declares for the NFL draft: Bad Move

When I woke up this morning I saw the news that former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu intended to declare for the NFL draft in April. I was saddened because although I do not know him personally, his story hits close to home. Mathieu garnered national attention after being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and earning the nickname “honey badger”. He showed an affinity for causing turnovers at LSU. Now, he has made his biggest turnover of all. Declaring for the draft is another bad decision in a long line of bad decisions. His football seemed bright until LSU announced he had been dismissed from the team in early August for violations of team rules. At this point in time, Mathieu had many options and plenty of time to rehab himself and his image before taking his talents to the NFL. He could have transferred to another D-1 school and sat out a season or transferred to a lower division and played this season. He chose door number 3, which was for Mathieu to check himself into a substance abuse rehab center. This was a good move for him personally, and for his image. It is not clear how long he was in the program, but he did re-enroll at LSU to start classes for this 2012 school year. Mathieu appeared to be picking up the pieces and he might possibly make a return to LSU next season. Then in October he was arrested on marijuana charges along with former teammate Jordan Jefferson. I am not an expert in drug rehab, but I have seen a few close friends/family members “fall off the wagon”. From my experience I knew him returning to Baton Rouge for school was a bad idea. He needed to stay in rehab longer and to leave LSU and get in a new environment to start over.

Now, Tyrann Mathieu has announced he will be foregoing his remaining college eligibility and entering the NFL Draft. This may prove to be his worst decision of all. He most likely will not be drafted by an NFL team unless it is a very late pick and the team won’t be on the hook for a lot of money. Mathieu was already an undersized corner with average speed and cover abilities. Then you add that he was kicked off the LSU football team for drugs violations in August, and subsequently arrested on drug charges in October. If you were a general manager for a team would you take a chance on him. Not likely. The NFL offers more free time and access to all your vices, and the money to afford them. Every year we hear stories of professional athletes without a documented history of substance abuse struggle with addiction. Josh Hamilton, Stanley Wilson, Barret Robbins Daryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, and the list goes on and on. Declaring for the draft appears to be a way for Mathieu to escape the problems plaguing him in college, but in all likelihood things will get worse before they get better. How will he deal with the disappointment of going undrafted of being drafted late? How will he deal with injury or being cut? Now, how is a kid who obviously cannot handle staying sober in college supposed to make it in the NFL?

In no way am I saying Mathieu is not worthy of a second chance and should never be picked by an NFL team. I am saying he needs to go back to rehab and get his life together, then go play football in college for season (not near LSU), then declare for the draft. He would give himself the best chance to succeed personally and professionally. I have seen teammates and friends struggle with the disease of addiction and the toll it takes on them physically, emotionally, and financially. If you are not mentally ready to handle the life associated with professional sports, you are a tragedy waiting to happen. The toughest things for professional athletes to do is admit they have a problem. They are strong, and can do things physically that men only dream about. The thought of not being able to control a problem alone is unfathomable. Mathieu must admit to himself he has a problem and that wholesale changes must be made for him to be successful. Everybody loves a comeback story, and a story of personal triumph so I wish Mathieu well. But, as it stands right now, after a year out of football coupled with his issues, Mathieu would be fighting for a spot on a NFL roster. I hope I am wrong, but the most likely ending for the Tyrann Mathieu story will be something like Onterrio Smith. A young man with an abundance of talent that loses his way and his dream of football glory.

Do you see any way Tyrann Mathieu can be successful in the NFL right now?

USC Trojans: Finished at the top of the Pac-12?

Who is USC? They are not the football program they used to be.

The Trojans came into the 2012 college football season ranked #1 in the country! Expectations had not been this high since the Reggie Bush era. After 2 seasons of post-season bowl bans USC was predicted to reclaim Pac-12 dominance and national prominence. The Nov. 3 game vs Oregon was supposed to be a top 5 showdown with the winner to play either  LSU or Alabama game in the national championship. Instead, USC showed up to the game with two losses and a head coach on the hot seat. After getting beat up by the Ducks, the Trojans are 6-3 and must-win every game in order to make the Pac-12 title game and avoid a disastrous season.

Just when the USC athletic department thought the black eyes would stop, they keep getting hit from every angle. Lane Kiffin inherited many of the challenges he has faced as the Trojans head coach. However, the newest bruises to the Trojans, excluding the losses, are self inflicted. Many uninformed people are crediting USC’s troubles to the lack of depth due to scholarship restrictions imposed by the NCAA. Reality is, USC signed a full recruiting class last year plus a few extra players due to 7 players who transferred for a total of 31 signees. The scholarship losses are coming but have little to do with the problems at hand now.

The fabric of tradition and dominance USC once showed over the Pac-12 is slowly coming apart at the seams. The mystique is gone and so is the respect and pride that used to cause teams to crumble from the shadow of the Coliseum. The Trojans are still a hot bed of talent for the NFL, but those numbers dwindle over next few years with the loss of blue chip recruits to other schools like Oregon, Washington, and even UCLA. The Trojans have lost the strangle hold they had on the Pac-12 to the Ducks, who have won three straight titles. Top recruits (i.e. Max Redfield) who wouldn’t consider other options after being offered a USC scholarship are considering taking their talents to other schools. Even worse than that, the Trojans are losing their identity and pride. Part of the identity was tied to the uniform. SC’s traditional uniform complemented with white socks and black cleats with white laces have been traded for cardinal and yellow socks and shoes. This may sound like a little thing but after talking to many players I played with in the NFL, they agree with me. Now to the pride:

Jersey Gate:

 On Oct 20 SC played the Colorado Buffaloes, who is one of the worst teams in college football and the current Pac-12 punching bag. Lane Kiffin and the USC staff pulled a move that can only be characterized as “Bush League”. Here is the Quote from the LA Times article:

Cody Kessler is easily identifiable in the No. 6 jersey the reserve quarterback has worn in his two seasons at USC.
So confusion reigned last week when Kessler played on special teams in the first half against Colorado — even running for an apparent two-point conversion — wearing No. 35, the same number worn by punter Kyle Negrete. In the second half, Kessler was back wearing No. 6.

When asked about the controversy after the game Kiffin said, ” We’re just playing within the rules of college football”. This move by Kiffin is clearly against NCAA rules because the jersey change was to deceive the opponent. He is also only one of a handful of coaches who could attempt a stunt like this because nearly all teams have names on the back of their jerseys.

Football Gate:

Today it was just announced here that USC fired a student equipment manager for intentionally deflating game balls during the first half of the loss vs Oregon. When footballs are properly inflated they are hard as rocks. A slightly under inflated ball allows the quarterback to grip it tighter and throw it harder and further. It also allows the receiver to grip the ball better and making it easier to catch.

“When informed of this allegation by the Pac-12, USC investigated it immediately. The student manager confirmed that he had, without the knowledge of, or instruction from, any USC student-athlete, coach, staff member or administrator, deflated those game balls after they had been tested and approved by officials prior to the game.”

Really… Are we supposed to believe a frat boy equipment manager just under inflated balls without anyone’s knowledge in the biggest game of the year? Yea right. Equipment managers know that quarterbacks are very particular about the balls they use. There is no way he would have bothered the balls without consent or knowledge from authority. While this violation brings a fine and reprimand, the bigger punishment is another bruise to the USC name.

NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations and improper benefits are one thing, but shaky in game tactics are a whole different ballgame. You might expect a school that is completely undermanned to try these things. Is this what it has come to with USC?

USC is a football program rich with history, tradition, and accomplishments. Their history is becoming increasingly difficult for fans, recruits, and to see though the dark clouds over the Coliseum.  If USC is not careful they will end up just a shadow of their former selves like Notre Dame, Michigan, Miami, Tennessee, Florida State, and Alabama (before Saban).

Is this what we should expect out of the “mighty” USC?

Is it possible to right the ship? If so, how and when?

Top 10 Names in NCAA Tournament

The NCAA tournament always brings me joy in so many ways. The drama, buzzer beaters, heartbreak, and the NAMES. There have been times I have wanted a player to score simply so the announcers can call their names. Some of the greatest names in NCAA history are God Shammgod (Providence), Scientific Mapp (Florida Atlantic), Majestic Mapp (Virginia), Baskerville Holmes (Memphis), World B. Free (Guiford), Stromile Swift (LSU), Exree Hipp (Maryland), Chief Kickingstallionsims (Alabama State).

Here are the 2011 best names in the NCAA tournament. My Favorite is Ivory White. (For obvious reasons. LOL)

NCAA turns a Blind EYE







The NCAA is punishing schools like USC, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and investigating numerous others for “improper benefits” received by athletes. There are rules that must be followed by student athletes and the schools that they attend. The NCAA has recently suspended players, put schools on probation, restricted scholarships, and banned teams from bowl games for violations regarding agents. Schools that are accused of wrong doing are cited for having “lack of institutional control”, but the NCAA’s definition of “lack of institutional control” baffles me. I think Bryant Gumbel said it best on Real Sports (full article):

“I’m no legal expert, not by a long shot, but I do believe that driving drunk, robbing a convenience store, and hitting your girlfriend are all worse offenses than dealing with an agent.  Most people would agree with that I think, except, it seems, the folks in charge of college football.

How else to explain the fact that the USC Trojans are currently on NCAA probation while the Florida Gators are not, even though Florida’s program has seen 27 different players arrested during the short tenure of Coach Urban Meyer.  That’s right, by NCAA standards, 27 arrests merit not so much as an official reprimand.  But dealing with a prospective agent prematurely, as former Trojan Reggie Bush did, gets your program punished for four years.

“It’s not just about USC.  NCAA investigations are ongoing at the Universities of Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina for the same kind of premature conversation with agents that Bush had.  And it’s not just about Florida.  Players at Pittsburgh, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Southern Mississippi, UCLA and elsewhere have also been arrested this year.  But all of those programs are, by NCAA standards, in full compliance.”

I do not think that Universities should be allowed to run freely just because no players are being arrested. I do think it is a BIG problem when you are paying so much attention to a couple hundred dollars here and there when there are much bigger problems. How do u ignore so many players being arrested at one place? If anything is a “lack of institutional control” 27 players arrested is. College kids are not going to be perfect but the NCAA needs to step in and do something effective, not just putting a bandaid on a gash. Some of the fault does fall on the universities shoulders, but the schools have so much money at risk with their programs winning that they cannot always be trusted to do the right thing to insure “institutional control”.

College athletes need to make better choices and not do anything they know to be against the rules, or will jeopardize their eligibility and embarrass the program. But the reality is, teenagers with little money and a lot of needs are not always going to and shouldn’t be expected to always make good decisions when tempted with money and gifts by agents. Sometimes adults don’t even make good decisions when faced with temptation to receive money or “extra benefits” so how can you expect college kids to?  If you want players to stop taking gifts from agents, punish the agents. If agents are heavily punished by the NFLPA for giving student athletes “extra benefits” I guarantee you will see this problem virtually eliminated.
This is not a Florida Gators bash session. I’m just wagging my finger at the NCAA. They sometimes draw a hard line on things that don’t seem to be a big deal, but turn around and ignore glaring problems staring them right in the face.

First Wrighster Family Tailgate



I had a great time on Saturday watching My Ducks beat on the Bruins, but more importantly my Son & Nephew had the best time ever. It was so great watching them run around, playing football while we were tailgating, and watching them scream to the top of their lungs when the Ducks would do something good.

I hate to mention it but I must, the big cuddly un-intimidating Bruin mascot came over by our section and the boys just HAD to touch him and say hi. They are 3 it’s ok I think. They wanted to play with the Bruin longer but I cut that visit short QUICKLY. The joy on their faces warmed my soul. They cheered so loud, by the 3rd quarter they were both passed out. I didn’t mind them taking a nap, because by that point the game was long out of reach.

For my first game ever in the stands as a fan, I had a great time. We had great seats. We were literally three rows from the field right in the endzone. When Talmadge Jackson III intercepted a pass from Bruin quarterback Kevin Prince and ran it in for a touchdown right in front of us, the rest of the Ducks came over and we all celebrated together. We were so close the boys could reach out and touch the players. The boys were so juiced, they felt like they were on the field.
There were so many “Best Parts” of the day that I cannot single out just one. It was great seeing some of my old teammates Jared Dillon, Garret Sable, Rashad Bouman, Matt Toenia, Saladin McCullough and coaches, especially my former coach Mike Belloti (who is now the Athletic Director at Oregon). Ok, I’ll stop! The Ducks travel well. . I’m gonna say this now, Ed Dickson could be the best TE to ever come out of Oregon if he keeps working hard. He has all the tools.
FYI a national championship is in our future!!

Two things I learned from this tailgate. One, never leave Marcellus Wiley in charge of bringing the grill, because he will be late (those tv types) and two, my son and nephew will be future Ducks. They cheered Go Ducks all night long!! My job as a father and Duck alum is done!!
Tickets to the game $400, tailgating supplies $200, watching the Ducks blowout the Bruins with family, and friends… PRICELESS!!!!!
The Maurice Jones-Drew Video will be posted soon!!

Oregon vs UCLA… Jones-Drew vs G3

What’s a Pac-10 game without a little fun? I had the pleasure of playing with UCLA Alum Maurice Jones-Drew for 3 seasons while I was in Jacksonville, and like me he is a proud alum. During football season you could frequently hear MJD yelling “the boys in blue, the boys in blue” after any win by UCLA. So I decided to make a little friendly wager. If the Ducks beat UCLA tomorrow Mo-jo and little Mo-jo 2.0, have to wear an Oregon Uniform and t-shirt and sing our fight song while being videotaped and if UCLA wins, me, little D, & my nephew AK, will do the same in UCLA garb!! Me, I’m not even worried.. I have the utmost confidence in my Ducks!!!
I haven’t been able to see an Oregon game live since I was a player there back in 2002, and I have never seen an Oregon game from the stands. This weekend that will all change. My entire family and I are tailgating and will be in attendance this Saturday as the Mighty Ducks of Oregon take on UCLA at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. What makes this game so special is I get to take my son and nephew to their first “Duck” game!!! They both love football games and I am planting the Oregon seed early, so when they are older they will already have the Green/Yellow (and Black, Gray, White, Graphite) love. LOL, I love our uniforms! Oh, yea, they will be part of Coach Kelly’s 2023 recruiting class. I know that’s a long time away but it’s never too early to prepare.

Now back to the game, UCLA has a tough team this year, and they are led by Head Coach Neuheisel, whom I have much respect for. While at the University of Colorado he was the first person to offer me a scholarship to play college football. I still have the letter to this day. I went against him a few times as a player when he was the Huskies Head Coach, but I believe we have the edge. Even though we are without “The Man” Thurmond III and Willie “Da DB” Glasper, and Blount Trauma, we should be fine. Our aggressive attack on both sides of the ball make us very hard to beat.
I cannot wait to hear the sweet lyrics of the Oregon Fight Song sung by MJD and MJD 2.0. I can hear it now as I daydream!!!!

#94 Hout…Won’t Do That Again!!!

First off, I am rocking an Oregon Ducks t-shirt as we speak! We lost last night but I am still Very proud to be a Duck. Now lets get to the real story. University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount has been suspended for the entire season! This is another Plaxico punishment. Another person who has been made an “example” of. I have never heard of a year long suspension for a fight especially when the person you were fighting was also in the wrong. LeGarrette Blount should not have punched Byron Hout, but he got what he deserved. Hout showed NO class in the way he hit Blount’s shoulder pad and jumped in his face mocking him after the loss. Those are the type of things that happen when you do things like that. The NCAA is emphasizing sportsmanship this season and Hout’s behavior was obviously not sportsman-like and inappropriate. BSU coach Chris Peterson even grabbed Hout because he saw what he did and how classless and unnecessary his actions were. There needs to be a 1 game suspension for Hout! If my son had done what Hout did and got punched, I would shake my head as I’m telling him, “Bet you won’t do that again!”. After the punch heard round the world Blount was walking away peacefully when people in the crowd obviously said some “magic” words that would even make a calm man enraged. People may disagree with me but I have played in certain parts of the country where those type of things happen regularly!
Blount needs to use better judgement and control himself even when provoked by classless individuals. A 3-4 game suspension for Blount would have been fitting. Media outlets, YouTube, and TV analyst talking about it was “egregious”. I’m watching TV and reading twitter and the Internet and all these analyst and writers are throwing around these million dollar words and phrases making this the worst thing that ever happened. They are saying, LeGarrette Blount’s actions are despicable, horrid, classless, and that they are appalled and outraged that this could happen. Seriously, all that?
Now here is the “gotcha, gotcha” because there is always a “gotcha, gotcha”…
Many people want to talk about Boise State competing for a BCS spot and a National Championship, but I will be the 1st to say they don’t have what it takes. Let me just say, I like Boise State because their coach Chris Peterson was the WR coach when I was at Oregon, and I played with their Defensive Coordinator Justin Wilcox, but Hout got punched right in front of all his teammates and no one did anything to Blount. They stood by and watched. This would never be allowed to happen to any team worth winning a championship! If that would have happened to an Oregon, Florida, Alabama, Texas, or USC player it would have been a riot. Teams have to stick together through thick and thin, right or wrong, and have a “ride or die” mentality to win championships! They should have had to dig Blount out of a pile of blue and orange jerseys, but like I stated, I don’t promote violence, just protecting my teammates!!

Honk If You Love the Ducks!!!



I had a cool time in high school, but for the most part, I felt like a fish out of water, but then came the University of Oregon. I didn’t know what to expect when I got to Eugene. All I knew about the U of O was Nike, Prefontaine “Track Town USA”, and Duck football. I learned quickly what the 541 was all about. I loved my time in Eugene. My favorite breakfast spot GJ’s, our favorite bar Taylors , the U.I. dorm , the CASS and most importanly, Autzen stadium, the crowd, and the student section. AMAZING!!! I’ll never forget Apartment #90 which consisted of #1 aka SP aka Samie Parker, #2 aka O-S*#@*y aka Onterrio Smith and myself aka Rice-Daddy. Man, if those walls could talk, lol, but I’m glad they can’t. Oregon was totally different than any other place I had ever been into my whole life, but yet it was home. Some of my fondest memories are from my time in Eugene. College was truly some of the best years of my life to date. A lot of things in my life may change, but one thing that will remain the same is I will always and forever be an Oregon Duck!

I’ll never forget every home game the PA announcer would say “It never rains in Autzen Stadium”. Which to me, being from Sunny So Cal, was very ironic, because I felt like it was always raining in the northwest. I still get chills thinking about scoring a touchdown and that loud fog horn going off and the band playing the fight song “Oregon our Alma Mater, we will guard thee on and on….”! I loved playing for Oregon, and now that I am in the pros, I love being a fan of Oregon. I always had my duck gear in my locker at the stadium. At least once a week in the offseason I workout in a Duck t-shirt, shorts, and my Nike Shox Duck editions (Oh Baby)! I even made a bet with my teammate Mo Williams 2 years ago that MY Ducks would crush his minuscule Wolverines, and of course they did. Mo had to wear my College jersey all week, haha GO DUCKS!! I hang on to every play of Duck football. All my teammates in Jacksonville knew when we went to away games I was only going to eat dinner at a place that had my Duck’s game on! God Bless satellite tv!!

Two years ago we had the National Championship and the Heisman Trophy in our grasp and it all went down the drain when Dennis Dixon fell to the ground clutching his knee. We were on cloud nine, riding high on the backs of Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart, and just that quick we had to settle for a SCHLacking of South Florida in the Sun Bowl 56-21. I was devastated. It felt like I was on that team and “we lost”. I now know what “REAL” fans go through and how they feel. I have a much deeper respect for the fans of our game.

On Thursday we begin our quest for another PAC-10 title and a chance at a National Championship. Although I can’t be there in person I will have my flatscreen on and my popcorn ready. It won’t be an easy game, (we are playing against former Oregon coaches). We are taking on the Broncos of Bosie State, on their “Smurf Turf”. The Broncos have a good team and are always tough at home, but I know the Ducks will take care of business. This year will be a good year for us up in Eugene and I will be here with my duck gear on cheering the whole way. I just can’t wait until my son is old enough to really appreciate the game, so I can take him to a game at Autzen stadium, “the loudest place on earth” (for the enemy).

I was so juiced when I saw the Ducks on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I was thinking, finally, we are getting some respect. I know some of ya’ll out there are skeptical of calling us a Football Powerhouse, but keep watching and trust me, you’ll see. It’s ok, I won’t say I told you so. Actually, YES I WILL!!! GO DUCKS!!!