FishDuck Article Administrator No. 1 Share Posted July 16 In commemorating the end of the Pac-12, West Coast college football insider Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News shared his football Mount Rushmore for each Pac-12 school plus a head coach. Mr. FishDuck goes way back with this theme, and took some time from his study of game boosting services to agree with much of what Wilner arrived ... Oregon Football’s Mount Rushmore | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM Darren Perkins of FishDuck.com discusses is Mount Rushmore for Oregon Football. 1 2 Two Sites: FishDuck and the Our Beloved Ducks forum, The only "Forum with Decorum!" And All-Volunteer? What a wonderful community of Duck fans! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie No. 2 Share Posted July 16 I remember hearing later that the spring before Musgrave started as QB that the coaches were worried that the Ducks could lose every game in the upcoming season. Fortunately, the Ducks went 6-5 that year, and, overall, Musgrave led the Ducks to a 28-19 record and a 27-24 victory over Tulsa in the 1989 Independence Bowl. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Perkins No. 3 Share Posted July 16 I remember that first game in '87. My dad, big brother, and I went down to a close circuit watch party in the Autzen parking lot because the game was not on TV. They played Colorado and were expected to lose with this scrawny true frosh at qb. Ironically, Musgrave came from Colorado as the high school player if the year. The "it" factor was there from the get go. Very smart player. His weak arm is what held him back in the NFL but was fine for college. If not for mid season injuries his freshman AND sophomore years, the Ducks probably made a bowl in all 4 of his seasons. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 4 Share Posted July 16 The problem? There needs to be more room on Mr. Rushmore! I agree with the Bill Musgrave thoughts, but man....taking off LaMichael James is tough. He was the fastest, toughest back with elite vision at Oregon--hands down, IMHO. And where would we be without "The Pick?" Too many candidates, and not enough room. I get what was stated about Brooks, but it was Chip Kelly who took us to the National level and brought us a big part of what the current Oregon "Brand" is. (The CK of that time, not the CK we saw at UCLA) Good stuff for the offseason! Our first serious Heisman Candidate? Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kamikaze Kid Moderator No. 5 Share Posted July 16 Brooks started coaching the Ducks in 77 so I'd give him a pass for what happened in 74 and 75. Also there is no UO recruiting machine like it is today without DAT. Just ask every 4 and 5 star that has put on the uniform since then. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Perkins No. 6 Share Posted July 16 On 7/16/2024 at 8:31 AM, Charles Fischer said: The problem? There needs to be more room on Mr. Rushmore! I agree with the Bill Musgrave thoughts, but man....taking off LaMichael James is tough. He was the fastest, toughest back with elite vision at Oregon--hands down, IMHO. And where would we be without "The Pick?" Too many candidates, and not enough room. I get what was stated about Brooks, but it was Chip Kelly who took us to the National level and brought us a big part of what the current Oregon "Brand" is. (The CK of that time, not the CK we saw at UCLA) Good stuff for the offseason! Our first serious Heisman Candidate? C'mon Charles, obviously I'm being an 80s, Eugene homer!!! Lol. Of course I'm gonna pick a kid from Sheldon HS!. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ducky No. 7 Share Posted July 16 Could not read the article but I believe Bobby Moore was a tailback at Oregon. Could be wrong. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massduck No. 8 Share Posted July 16 Not a mention of Hall of Fame QB Dan Fouts?! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 9 Share Posted July 16 I always thought Chris Miller became a turning point for the program. He was truly a tremendous athlete in High School, and honestly, an injury probably kept him from going to a better team. I suppose that Royce Freeman should be a candidate as well. Our all time rushing leader with 60 TD’s. For defense, hands down Haloti Ngata. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 10 Share Posted July 16 (edited) Tough one. What defines best? Most talented players? Elevating the program? Team or individual accomplishments? How do you differentiate between a player elevating the program and a player benefiting from the elevation of the program? Tough indeed. I’d start by mostly ignoring pure stats, just doesn’t consistently translate across eras. Lot of players with ridiculous stats the last 15 years. I think I’d really go with players that had signature moments, seasons or careers that helped elevate everything. Musgrave - broke through getting us a bowl appearance and win. Dude was everything to us breaking through on this front. As others noted, when he was healthy, away we went. Both times he got injured we disappeared. Mariota - Only Heisman winner, won a playoff game, etc. Rarefied air on all fronts Kenny Wheaton - The pick changed the program. Clutch as it gets and continued to be a really good player after his frosh year. Brooks - Ultimately got us to the Rose with utter garbage conditions. Edited July 16 by JabbaNoBargain 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 11 Share Posted July 16 Darren, thanks for another terrific article but I believe Wilner should have gone more Old-School with these picks. If you truly want an inclusive and not modern Oregon Mount Rushmore turn the pages back. There are no newbies on the real Mount Rushmore. How about: The Dutchman, Norm Van Brocklin, and Dan Fouts? And Ngata being 'also considered?' Ducks blasphemy. Brooks? I'm going Bellotti over a guy who slinked off to a mediocre SEC program. Jon Wilner? I expect more out of a man born on August 17, 1945! - Thanks again, DP. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartm25 No. 12 Share Posted July 16 (edited) @Darren Perkins - Great article I liked how you qualified one of your takes because it was an impression you had as a kid. I'll use that same paradigm for my Mt. Rushmore (i.e., coaches/players that left the most significant impression on me from when I started watching until now). I did not consistently watch the Ducks until the Joey Harrington era. Mt. Rushmore - Coach - Chip Kelly: Ushered in the most exciting brand of football I have ever seen (both past and present), and formally put Oregon on the national map. I remember not wanting to take a 30-second bathroom break for fear of missing a touchdown. Mt. Rushmore - Players - Joey Harrington: The big NYC Heisman poster, and the demolition of Colorado in the Bowl Game were the indelible images that hooked me on the Ducks as a young whippersnapper. - Nick Reed: The DE with long gray sleeves and a relentless motor to match his blue-collar look. - LaMichael James: The most exciting player in the nation. One-cut-and-gone track speed with vision, and hard to take down. I'll never forget the 70+ yard run against Tennessee that launched the Ducks to the National Championship appearance. - Marcus Mariota: Heisman trophy winner and best thing to ever happen to an offense that thrived on dual-threat QBs. Honorable Mentions - Jeff Maehl: Made incredible clutch catches during the national championship season run. - De'Anthony Thomas: Hard to leave him off, but I can't remove LaMichael James. One word for DAT . . . ELECTRIC - Justin Herbert: Could have been the Oregon GOAT but for the offense-strangling HC, Mari Cristbal. - Dan Lanning: I imagine he will eventually be THE Oregon coach in time. - Kayvon Thibodeaux: One-man wrecking crew that, when healthy, covered up a lot of Mari Cristbal-induced offensive woes. - Michael Clay: He never seemed to miss a tackle. - John Boyett: What a hammer coming from the backfield. - Brent Musburger / Kirk Herbstreit: **This is from left field, but those two voices from that Chip Kelly era bring a sense of nostalgia that will never be extinguished. Oh! What Might Have Been - Cliff Harris: What an incredible athlete with speed and instincts . . . but sadly oft' distracted. - Colt Lyerla: One of the most athletic TEs I've ever seen. If only he put everything into football. Sorry for taking this much further than a simple Mt. Rushmore list, but the trip down memory lane was worth it. Edited July 16 by cartm25 spelling 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie No. 13 Share Posted July 16 (edited) On 7/16/2024 at 8:31 AM, Charles Fischer said: The problem? There needs to be more room on Mr. Rushmore! ... That's just it. This is not THE Mt. Rushmore, it's the Duck Mt. Rushmore, so it doesn't need to be limited to 4 players. Edited July 16 by Annie 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 14 Share Posted July 16 There are so many candidates for an O Mt Rushmore. Don’t even know where you’d start. On a strictly athletic, statistical comparison, you could leap frog Bill with probably more than just four jumping ahead of him on that list. To me, what makes him prominent isn’t just his QB offerings to those 87 thru 90 teams; it was his being a part of a subtle, indescribable feeling that something was beginning to surge beneath Oregon football like a wave — separate from, yet irresistible and contagious to all the moving parts. And Bill’s was the face that we put on that nascent buzz that would continue to build right up to now. Yes, there were many ‘wow’ moments from athletes (Moore, Fouts, etc) who preceded Bill, but none that I recall who generated anything beyond a sense of momentary greatness. It was the unstoppable sense of what was yet to come triggered during Bill’s tenure that gives him his special place in Oregon football. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckdude No. 15 Share Posted July 17 On 7/16/2024 at 10:55 AM, Jon Joseph said: How about: The Dutchman, Norm Van Brocklin, and Dan Fouts? And Ngata being 'also considered?' Ducks blasphemy. Gotta agree 100%! DAT was a phenom, deserving of “consideration”, as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47sgs No. 16 Share Posted July 17 This is a really loaded topic with lots of potential answers, none of them wrong. As a fan since the Bob Berry, Casanova years, and remembering talk of Norm Van Brocklin, I can come up with at least a dozen players and coaches I'd consider for my Mt. Rushmore. I hope there's room for a lot more than four. Dan Fouts was beyond awesome considering the team he had. Later came Chris Miller, Joey Harrington, Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix. Running backs like Bobby Moore Jonathon Stewart, LaMichael James, and Royce Freeman were awesome. DAT was phenominal . There were great defensive players, and numerous coaches that made out program what they are today. It would be impossible to limit it to just four people without insulting so many major contributors. BUT...., if I had to pick four, I'd probably go with Belloti for the gradual development of out program to a national presence, Joey Harrington for his grit, competetive spirit, and being a Heisman contender, Mariota for the obvious national recognition he brought our program, and LaMichael James for showing what an over achieving 3 star recruit can do for a program. But again, it's so subjective, I could be completely off base. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeotechDuck No. 17 Share Posted July 17 (edited) My attempt.: Coach - Chip Kelly. He took the team to an undefeated season and a spot in the NC game. A milestone that I never believed I would see in my lifetime when I was a student. Player 1 - Marcus Mariota. The only Heisman winner and only QB to win a playoff game plus ridiculous stats with almost no mistakes. The GOAT. Player 2 - Kenny Wheaton. I am probably biased here, as I was a junior and in the student section for The Pick. At the time, this felt like the biggest thing that had ever happened in sports to me and is the defining moment of when the program really shifted. Player 3 - Joey Harrington. As the poster above noted, he was just nails. What seemed like 10000 comeback 4th quarter wins and dismantled Colorado. He just had “it” in college. Player 4 - LaMichael James. When I rewatch those games, I don’t think I truly understood at the time how dominate he was in that offense. He would have broken the Pac-12 rushing record if he would have stayed for his final year. Disclaimer - I started at Oregon in 1991, so didn’t include anyone before that as I never saw them play live. Edited July 17 by GeotechDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notalot No. 18 Share Posted July 17 Gotta give more love to the great offensive linemen. Everything starts with them. Renfro yes! Consider Tom Graham and Dave Wilcox. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
