What It Means to Be a Duck: Mike Bellotti and Oregon's Greatest Players (What It Means to Be…)

Rob Moseley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When Oregon's Kenny Wheaton picked off a Washington Huskiesd pass in October 1994 and took the ball 97 yards to the end zone, it marked a watershed moment for Ducks football. The touchdown led to a victory over the Huskies and, at the end of the season, a Rose Bowl berth, but more importantly it was the catalyst for then-coach Rich Brooks moving to the NFL. His replacement, Mike Bellotti, leveraged that successful season into a 14-year run that saw Oregon become one of the nation's top football programs, racking up 12 bowl berths and sending a steady stream of players to the NFL.

While Oregon's fortunes turned dramatically with Wheaton's interception, that ensuing run of success was not the only era of Ducks football worth considering. In fact, looking back to the 1950s and 1960s, fans fondly remember coach Len Casanova, who revived a moribund program and tutored future NFL stars such as Dave Wilcox and Mel Renfro. And, of course, Rich Brooks--even though his record was later surpassed by Mike Bellotti--enjoyed several successful seasons during his tenure, which began in 1977.

In What It Means to Be a Duck, fans can relive the up-and-downs of the past six decades and celebrate the traditions of Oregon football through the firsthand memories of the men who toiled on the turf at Hayward Field and Autzen Stadium. Author Rob Moseley tracked down some of the greatest names in Ducks history and asked them to share their fondest memories of playing in Eugene. The Oregon greats profiled include Jack Patera, the first coach of the Seattle Seahawks; Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and television analyst Dan Fouts; receiver Bobby Moore, who gained famed in the NFL as Ahmad Rashad; Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman Gary Zimmerman; and current NFL quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Joey Harrington.

While not every Oregon player enjoyed football success in the professional ranks, all learned important lessons from their experiences playing for the Ducks. Always something of an underdog compared to better-known national powerhouses, Oregon instilled in its players a spirit of hard work that has served many of them well in their postcollegiate careers. The former players' stories will remind readers of the value of persevering in the face of challenges and working as a team to achieve goals, themes that truly speak to what it means to be a Duck.

From the Author

"People say, `You're a former Duck,' and I say, `Nope, I'm a Duck.' That may be a silly nickname, but to me it means a lot, because they took a chance on me."
--Dan Fouts

"The stuff I remember best, just all the good times with the other offensive line guys...We were real people, a bunch of good old boys who couldn't be happier than we were just fishing and hanging out."
--Gary Zimmerman

"I just liked the fact that Oregon was a place where you could really grow as a person. It wasn't all about football."
--Ahmad Rashad [Bobby Moore]

"Tough love was a hallmark of the great coaches at Oregon...It is not just about being tough in order to get through football practice or even a game, it's teaching a work ethic that will get you ahead in life."
--From the foreword by Mike Bellotti

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 269 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (IL) (July 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600781594
• ISBN-13: 978-1600781599
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #298,981 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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