Tag: Oregon Legends

Which Oregon Duck legends should be added to the ‘Shout!’ video?

Does the ‘Shout!’ video need to include more Oregon legends? That’s up for debate. If you do want to include more, here’s who should be added.

One of the greatest current traditions in all of sports takes place inside Autzen Stadium during the intermission between 3rd and 4th quarters of football games.

Fans know it’s coming. Players know it’s coming. TV crews across the nation know it’s coming, readying their cameras for the exuberant explosion getting set to take place in Eugene.

The singing of “Shout!” has become one of the time-honored traditions in college football over the last decade or so. An ode to Otis Day and the Knights, the popular fictional band from National Lampoon’s Animal House — which was filmed on the University of Oregon campus — the crowd at Autzen always turns into a frenzy for a span of several minutes in between quarters, with a well-produced Nike video playing on the jumbotron.

The video — a remake of arguably the most popular scene in Animal House — features some of the most legendary athletes and figures to be associated with the Ducks over the years. Here are just a few featured in the video:

  • Marcus Mariota
  • Joey Harrington
  • Ahmad Rashad
  • LaMichael James
  • Kenjon Barner
  • Dennis Dixon
  • Kenny Wheaton
  • Dan Fouts
  • Ashton Eaton
  • Galen Rupp
  • Neil Everett
  • English Gardner

That’s a great list of Oregon legends, but it is undoubtedly missing some names. This past week on the Sco-ing Long podcast, I was lucky enough to talk to Joey Harrington, one of the prominent figures of that ‘Shout!’ video. Of course, I asked him whether or not he thought the video should be updated to include some of the newest Oregon legends. His answer may surprise you.

It’s hard to disagree with Harrington. While the list of great Oregon athletes will continue to grow, the competition for screen time will grow as well. It’s only so long of a song, and by adding a handful of Duck legends who were left out the first time, you would be taking away from those who made it.

However, in a perfect world, there’s no cap on who gets to be in the video, and “Shout!” becomes a defacto “fan version” of the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame.

In this world, here are some names that I would like to see added to the video, in no particular order.

Note: It needs to be said that creating this list was much harder than I originally thought. My first draft had well over 50 names on it of players who I believed should make the cut. Even in a perfect world, that’s too many. So I forced myself to cut it down to 30 names. There are unlimited honorable mentions that I could go through. However, these are the most deserving in my mind. 

WATCH: First official trailer drops for ‘AIR,’ a movie about Phil Knight and Michael Jordan

The first trailer for ‘AIR,’ a movie about Phil Knight and Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan has officially dropped.

You can feel the buzz starting to grow where moviegoers and sports lovers overlap. When you take a subject that contains arguably the greatest basketball player to ever live — Michael Jordan — and the most famous sports apparel brand in the history of the world — Nike — you’ve got sports fans excited. Then you put actors like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, and Viola Davis on the big screen to depict that subject matter?

Now you’ve got a movie.

The first official trailer for “AIR” came out on Thursday morning. It is a movie directed by Ben Affleck, depicting the journey that Nike co-founder and Oregon Ducks legend Phil Knight — played by Affleck — went through back in the 1980s when trying to get his company off the ground by creating a shoe-line around Michael Jordan.

The creation of the Air Jordan came about with the help of Sonny Vaccaro, who is played by Matt Damon.

For Oregon fans and sneakerheads who have read the book Shoe Dog, written by Knight, they know this story well. But soon a much larger group of people will be familiar with the improbable events that took place, creating the brand that is Nike, and helping build the legend that is Michael Jordan.

The movie is set to release on April 5, 2023.

[listicle id=38773]

A dozen Oregon Ducks football records that are unlikely to be broken

What are the records that will never be touched at Oregon? There are actually quite a few.

In the wake of LeBron James making history on Tuesday night by becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, passing Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, we got to thinking here at Ducks Wire.

That feat by James was unimaginable for much of his career. With Abdul-Jabbar’s record standing for almost 39 years, it seemed outside the realm of possibility that anyone would score more than 38,388 points in a single career. Of course, then King James came around and made it all possible.

So, what are some records at the University of Oregon that might be unlikely to be broken in the future? Are there any feats that Duck football players have accomplished over the past century in Eugene that were so legendary that they will never be replicated?

This question intrigued me. I dove into Oregon’s history books and looked at some of the most notable performances. As it turns out, there are quite a few statistics that it would be hard to break going forward, whether it be due to the fact that players typically don’t stick around for four years in college anymore, or that the transfer portal sees to it that few guys are at a single school for their entire career.

I would certainly love to be wrong, but here are the records that I don’t think will be broken in Eugene for a long time coming.

‘I wouldn’t have missed it;’ Oregon legend Phil Knight shares historic moment with LeBron James

Phil Knight signed LeBron James to Nike 20 years ago. On Tuesday, he was with the King to celebrate history.

Unless you happen to be living under a rock or were not tuned into the world of sports on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, then you probably are aware that NBA legend LeBron James made history with the Los Angeles Lakers in the past 24 hours, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,390 career points.

James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record on Tuesday night in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring 38 points, when he needed 36 in order to pass the historical mark of 38.388, which had stood for nearly 39 years.

As you would expect, there was an outcrying of support for LeBron both in the arena and on social media throughout the night. One of the best photos of the night came from Andrew Bernstein, one of the most legendary sports photographers in NBA history. The photo showed the moment that LeBron released the record-breaking shot; in the background is a sea of fans, all with their phones out trying to record history. There was a lone fan sitting on the baseline, taking it all in with his own two eyes, though.

That man was Nike co-founder and Oregon Ducks legend Phil Knight.

This legendary photo will be circulated for decades to come, and it was cool to see Knight get some recognition on Tuesday night, though many commenters had no idea who he was just by appearance.

After the game, Knight and James met up and shared some kind words. Here’s a video of that interaction, along with some of the best reactions to Knight’s historic photo on Tuesday night:

Sabrina Ionescu announced as guest picker for ESPN College GameDay

Fans asked for it, and ESPN delivered. Oregon legend Sabrina Ionescu will be the guest picker for College GameDay this weekend.

The fans were calling for it, and the decision-makers at ESPN delivered.

Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu has officially been announced as the guest picker for ESPN College GameDay this weekend before the game between the No. 9 Oregon Ducks and No. 10 UCLA Bruins.

GameDay will be returning to Eugene, featuring the Ducks for the 26th time in its history. The Ducks are an impressive 15-10 in those games where Lee Corso is in attendance.

[lawrence-related id=31516]

After the initial announcement that GameDay was coming came out on Saturday night, fans quickly debated online who should be the guest picker for the Ducks. It usually is someone with a close tie to the home team and has a big enough fanbase that will draw passion from the crowd. Ionescu is a perfect fit, having been one of the best players in college basketball history in Eugene, and making waves with the New York Liberty in the WNBA over the past couple of years.

Ionescu was already planning to be in town to host a girls’ basketball camp, so this worked seamlessly.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=5901]

Oregon football all-time roster: Coaches, kickers and specialists

See which coaching and special teams legends made the cut in our all-time Oregon football roster.

The Oregon Ducks have seen a lot of coaches come through the program in the past couple of decades. After the long-held tenures of guys like Len Casanova, Rich Brooks, and Mike Bellotti, the past decade has seen a total of five guys take the top spot on the organizational chart in Eugene.

That means there have been a lot of assistants to come through the building as well.

To continue our series of the all-time greatest teams in Oregon history, we take a look at some of the best head coaches and assistant coaches in Ducks’ history. Before we get to that, though, let’s take a quick look at some of the best specialists in school history as well.

Check out Ducks Wire’s all-time roster for offensive starters and backups

Check out Ducks Wire’s all-time roster for defensive starters and backups

Check out our other College Wire all-time lineups: Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin

Oregon legend named to college football ‘all-time all-transfer’ team

When you think of Duck football transfers, you think of LeGarrette Blount or Jeremiah Masoli. It was this Oregon legend to make the ‘all-transfer’ team though.

When you think about transfers in college football, a lot of recent memory will come up. Thanks to the dawn of the transfer portal era, we now see some of the most talented plays in the nation picking up and finding new schools year after year. Guys like Caleb Williams, Jordan Addison, Quinn Ewers, and Eli Ricks — all are among the most talented players in the nation, and all will play for new teams this fall.

However, transfers in college football were a big thing before the portal came into existence. If you look back in the game’s history, you’ll see some of the biggest names moved around a little bit, searching for new schools with which to find a perfect fit.

[lawrence-related id=24558]

QB Roger Staubach? He transferred from New Mexico Military Institute to Navy. WR Randy Moss went from Notre Dame to Florida State, then to Marshall. More recently, DE J.J. Watt transferred from Central Michigan to Wisconsin.

The point is that transfers in college football are nothing new; they simply have been made easier via the portal. To help display this, On3 recently put together an ‘all-time all-transfer’ team to show the best players in the history of the sport to find a new team.

For the Oregon Ducks, there is one legend who made the cut. The OG Duck fans will know him well, and the younger generation will be smart to look him up.

His name is Dave Wilcox, and he is one of the best linebackers to ever play for the Ducks.

Wilcox played just two seasons (1963, 1964) at Oregon after transferring from Boise Junior College, but made such an impact in those two years that he was inducted into the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame in 1993. Wilcox earned the LB spot on On3’s all-time list. Here’s what they had to say about the Oregon legend:

Wilcox played two years at Boise JC (now Boise State) and was a junior college All-American before transferring to Oregon. As with Tippett, he was a college defensive end who was moved to outside linebacker in the NFL. He played 11 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and was known both for his physical play and high football IQ. Wilcox was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. His son, Justin, also starred at Oregon and is the head coach at California.

With the 49ers, Wilcox made it to 7 Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro three times. If you’re making a list of some of the best Oregon players of all time, it’s a foregone conclusion that you’ll find Wilcox on there.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01g40pw6ge712p07njz9 playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g40pw6ge712p07njz9/01g40pw6ge712p07njz9-6453d9eaa4e78cd3f761dacec273268a.jpg]

[listicle id=24556]

Every Oregon Ducks player to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft

Kayvon Thibodeaux is the latest in a long list of former Oregon Ducks to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Here’s a look at them all.

Kayvon Thibodeaux is just the latest in a long line of former Oregon Ducks to get selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

On Thursday night, Thibodeaux was selected by the New York Giants with the No. 5 overall pick, where he will play alongside established greats Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams in the Big Apple.

Related: Projected salary for New York Giants draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux

This is the third-straight year where Oregon has had a player taken in the first round, and the 8th in the past decade. So who are the other Pro Ducks who are in the first-round club along with Thibodeaux? Let’s take a look…

Tracking the Oregon Duck legends who will be attending the spring game

The past few days have seen an endless stream of Oregon legends confirm they will be at the Ducks’ spring game. Here’s who has RSVP’d.

In the days leading up to the spring game, the Oregon Ducks have been continually releasing more and more information about what we’re set to see in the annual scrimmage.

Whether it’s bits and pieces of the roster breakdown or a half-time gimmick that is sure to entertain, Oregon has made it clear that they’re going all out for Dan Lanning’s first official event as the new head coach of the Ducks.

Related: Oregon’s rich history will be front-and-center for spring game

One of the streams of information that has many veteran Oregon fans extremely excited is the unending list of former Ducks who have confirmed that they will be attending the spring game.

“I know this program was built on players like those guys,” Lanning said on Tuesday. “Legends, they’ve really put in blood, sweat, and tears for Duck football and we want to do everything we can to reconnect those people with our program.”

Lanning is doing a great job of getting them back in the mix early on, that’s for sure. This list may grow as we get closer to the game, but here are the Oregon legends who we know will be inside Autzen Stadium once again on Saturday.

Pair of Oregon Ducks listed among ESPN’s 100 greatest RBs in college football history

Two legendary Oregon Ducks made the cut for ESPN’s top-100 running backs in college football history.

[jwplayer vcKMRpbd]

We all know who the best running backs in Oregon Ducks football history are. Over the years, we’ve taken a hard look at the all-time career rushing list in Eugene and determined which players stand above the rest as far as a legacy left behind.

Heck, we even determined which rushing duos were the best in Oregon history earlier this year, looking at standout seasons from tandems in the Ducks’ backfield, looking at which 1-2 punch had the most power in Eugene.

[lawrence-related id=22436]

However, where do these Oregon legends stand when it comes to the history of college football as a whole? Recently, ESPN did some work to figure that out, ranking the best 100 running backs in the game. Fortunately for the Ducks, a pair of Oregon alums made the cut.

Those guys are Royce Freeman and LaMichael James.

Freeman, who is currently the No. 1 player on Oregon’s rushing list, was listed a little bit lower than we expected, coming in at No. 63 on the list. He finished his career in Eugene with 5,621 yards and 60 touchdowns in four seasons.

James, on the other hand, got some nice recognition from ESPN, coming in at No. 30 on the list. Here is what they had to say:

Chip Kelly’s Ducks went 34-6 from 2009-11, finishing in the top five twice and nearly winning the 2010 national title. James was the face of those teams, rushing for at least 1,500 yards each year and scoring 24 times during that blessed 2010 run. An underrated superstar.

In his career, LaMichael had 5,082 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns, finishing No. 2 on Oregon’s all-time rushing list. He was also playing alongside Kenjon Barner — No. 3 on the rushing list — making them the undisputed top RB tandem in Oregon history. 

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01g0hj11ynscdg6gmgjr playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0hj11ynscdg6gmgjr/01g0hj11ynscdg6gmgjr-f10e4c6a02e19fdf28c0dd387ce978c8.jpg]

[listicle id=19742]