Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have been faced with devastating tragedy in the past few years in Eugene, losing a pair of players in the summer months and having to cope with that loss as a team.
Before the 2022 season began, tight end Spencer Webb tragically died while at the Triangle Lake Rock Slides just outside of Eugene. Now, a couple of years later, former Oregon cornerback and rookie Minnesota Vikings defender Khyree Jackson was tragically killed in a car accident earlier in July.
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While the team will carry forward with heavy hearts, they will also make an effort to remember their brothers on their helmets going forward.
On Monday at Oregon’s annual media day, Lanning revealed that the team will be adding a new decal to their helmet this season, honoring both Webb and Jackson.
A bunch of @oregonfootball players are showing off the new green lids on IG. Just… wow✨💚 pic.twitter.com/iUE8Q1OR0c
— Jonah Henderson (@JonahNHenderson) July 29, 2024
The decal features a pair of ducks flying together, with the No. 5 and No. 4 on them for Jackson and Webb, respectively.
A year ago, the Ducks had a decal to honor Webb, with the No. 4 in the middle of a spider web. This decal will no longer be featured as it is being replaced with the new flying ducks’ image.
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More than just the sticker, Oregon will also take care to remember the two of them in other things that they do, Lanning says.
“There’s some stuff that we do just within our own team. You know, how we start off our team meetings and things like that, that’ll recognize him. But he’ll always be there in our thoughts.”
Over the last year, Lanning has started a tradition of when he walks into a room with the team, he shouts “Four” and everyone claps in unison to honor Webb. Time will tell what new tradition will be born out to honor Khyree in a similar fashion.
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