Part of the great joy of being a committed fan of a program and a sport is watching the journey of athletes from high school phenom to washout or legend. Around the tailgate we can talk about memories of guys that thrilled us and guys that just made us shake our heads, guys with million-dollar bodies and ten-cent heads.
Remember Dillon Baxter? Two years ago we were message-boarding all over each other about what a get he’d be for the Ducks, a 5-star running back with zoom in his shoes, the guy we had to have, maybe better than Bryce Brown. USC got him. Why did the Trojans need another tailback, and how could they keep beating Oregon to this kind of talent with a douche for a coach and sanctions hanging over their heads? Baxter was can’t miss, with moves like Barry Sanders. He could flat fly in the open field.
Just this week, he bounced out of his second program, scholarship yanked by San Diego State. Another case, as Chip so eloquently puts it, of “We’ll miss you but we’ll get along with out you.”
The Ducks had to settle for an another undersized speedster they picked in 2011, a kid from Crenshaw High who was 5-6 and weighed barely 160 pounds, if you believed the embittered posters at conquestchronicles.com. A kid named De’Anthony Thomas, with cornrows and infectious smile and a knack for turning a 2-foot wide crease into a shake and bake and nobody’s gonna catch that man. Dropped two fumbles in his first game. Went on to have one of the most memorable first seasons in NCAA football history. You had to love the kid, his quiet modesty and confidence and unbelievable flair. Remember when he turned the Coug safety around three times, going 69 yards with a simple swing pass? Insane. And he’s a Duck forever. One day he’ll flash the “O” after scoring a touchdown in the NFL.
At the NFL combine last weekend one of the big movers was LaMichael James, Oregon’s sensational tailback of the last three seasons, a guy we absolutely hated to say good-bye to but completely understood why he wanted to take his phenomenal heart, skill and determination to the league where you can earn a million dollars for holding up a bottle of Gatorade. The kid deserves it. He’s a joy to watch, and he gave Duck fans the ride of their lives. Anybody who had to watch the Toilet Bowl and the Poulan Weedeater Bowl thanks juju every day for LaMichael James. 59 freaking touchdowns, and half of those were among the most amazing you will ever see in your entire life as a college football fan.
Photo left: Go ahead. Call him undersized, just one more time. Draft some slug who just wants to collect a check. Just watch. LMJ’s gonna frog jump in your end zone. (Getty Images North America | Joe Robbins)
In Indianapolis James ran a 4.45 40 and lifted 225 21 times with one completely healthy arm. He measured 5-9, 194.5, and that’s powerful. As he’s always said, he’s short, not small. A bullet who can knock you on your ass.,
His success at the combine and in the league is great for the Ducks, and Duck fans. For one, we get to enjoy his talents for another few years. Also, it moves the sticks on all the negative crap about the Oregon system and how players here can’t succeed at the next level or in a pro system, the stuff the Tosh Lupois of the world trot out every recruiting season. James will light up some Jumbotrons in the not-for-long league. They’ll see.
Around the Casanova Center there’s not much news, and that’s good. This winter it was an Oregon State cornerback who did a 100 miles an hour in a Nissan Altima, and the Trojans, Bruins, Huskies, Wildcats, Sun Devils, Cougars and Cardinal that had to overhaul their coaching staffs. Stanford linebacker Shane Skov, a bruising hitter Coach David Shaw was counting on to anchor their defense, a senior leader, who got hurt late last year, was arrested for DUII. For the Ducks, the only news has been a few great recruiting offers, and Rob Moseley reporting that Bennett and Mariota are throwing to those fabulous young wide receivers and tight ends six days a week.
At the Duck Stops Here we took a month off after National Signing Day to evaluate how DSH fits into the rest of a life. Love doing this. It’s been incredibly rewarding to interact with the best fans in sports and watch a treasured project go from 20 hits a day to 29,000 in January. But man, it’s a grind. Love the writing, but research, finding topics, cross-posting and tweeting and facebooking is a second job. A great job, but I want to go on a date once in a while, and I want to get down to 215 and win the club championship in August.
I discovered I’ll just have to get more organized and find a way to fit it all in. Because like LaMichael James I am a Duck forever, and that’s something you never leave. I light up every time I see someone at the grocery store in one of the sweatshirts. We’re a fraternity, without stupid pretense or handshakes. Once a Duck, always a Duck, and who would want to be anything else?
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