Renowned Ducks

An NFL Hall of Fame QB(Dan The Man)

Dan Fouts was considered to be one of the greatest QB’s to ever control the Oregon offense. He holds just under 20 passing records while in Eugene. Two of the top records are for passing yards(5995) & total offense(5871).

All of these records & numbers led him to the Oregon sports Hall of Fame 18 years ago. His success didn’t stop at the college level. His career continued at the next level. The Chargers picked Fouts as their man to take over the QB position in the 1973 draft.

That was a very good decision indeed. Dan went on to lead the NFL in passing yards numerous times. Those numbers gave him a Pro Bowl selection 6 different times. And, his career was awarded by being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame 17 years ago.

A Hall of Fame Offensive Lineman

Gary Zimmerman was an offensive lineman that did his job really well at Oregon. However, his journey to the NFL wasn’t the standard. He initially went to a league(USFL) that only a select few former NFL greats have taken including a Hall of Fame NFL QB(Steve Young).

After spending two seasons in the USFL, Zimmerman finally made it to the NFL. His trip was well worth it. 12 great seasons with both the Vikings & Broncos. Those seasons led him to being elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame two years ago. Along with Steve Young, Zimmerman & 4 other NFL Hall of Famers share something in common. They all went the route of the USFL before gaining access to the NFL.

A Football & Track Guy

Mel Renfro played both offense & defense at Oregon. He also must have been pretty fast & athletic. He was on the Oregon track team as well. His college specialty was running with the football though. This specialty allowed him All-American honors. His points total at Oregon tallied to just under 24 touchdowns. His numbers at Oregon led him to being conducted into the College Football Hall of Fame nearly 25 years ago.

America’s Team decided to pick Renfro in the second round of the NFL draft in 1964. He went on to spend 14 years with the Dallas Cowboys. Instead of playing both sided of the ball like at Oregon, Renfro was strictly on defense his playing days in the NFL. He did have some skills as a special teams player too.

He averaged better than 4 interceptions per season during his NFL days. First 10 seasons & 10 Pro Bowl selections. He walked away from the game as most players would wish. That was after winning the Super Bowl in 1978.

A QB Disappointment

Akili Smith was at an all-time high. Being selected 3rd overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. His days in Cincinnati wasn’t something to remember. After those days, things wasn’t much better with a couple other NFL teams. Due to his limited success, Smith left the NFL 5 years ago.

A Duck Running Back To A Panther Paw

Jonathan Stewart was chosen two years ago by Carolina in the opening round of the draft. He was also a highly touted kid heading into college. He was good enough to enter the NFL draft after his junior season at Oregon. He currently is a big factor in the Panthers running attack.

Author Bio: Ivan Jamison is a big sports fan. You can check out his Oregon Ducks Watch or his Tennessee Volunteers Watch or his Dallas Cowboys Watch

Category: Sports
Keywords: Oregon Ducks