(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Going into last season, the Oregon secondary was widely regarded as the strongest unit on the team.
Self-proclaiming themselves as “D-Boyz,” the unit had an up-and-down season.
Last summer, they had to deal with tragedy when safety Todd Doxey drowned during a summer team outing. While playing with heavy hearts, the unit took turns wearing Doxey’s No. 29 jersey for all the home games and the Holiday Bowl.
On the field, the unit had a solid year. They played a lot of man-coverage, allowing the defense to stack the box to shut down opponent' rushing attacks.
Despite missing a couple of games due to injury, Walter Thurmond III tied teammate Jairus Byrd for the Pac-10 lead in interceptions. At safety, Patrick Chung made plays all over the field, and T.J. Ward led the team in tackles.
To be fair, the unit did allow more passing yards than expected. These statistics can be a little misleading, as blowout victories and a strong run defense forced opponents to throw the ball more against the Ducks.
After the season, Jairus Byrd decided to bypass his senior season for the NFL Draft. His selection early in the second round by the Buffalo Bills proved that his decision was justified.
Patrick Chung was also chosen in the second round by the Patriots, leaving the Ducks with the daunting task of replacing two quality starters.
The good news for the Ducks fin '09 is that they do return their top cover corner in Walter Thurmond III, as well as heavy-hitter T.J. Ward.
Thurmond, a six foot, 180-pound senior cornerback, has been a starter throughout his career at Oregon. He made an immediate impact and was named a freshman All-American in '06. Thurmond can be mentioned in the same breath as Rashad Bauman, Alex Molden, and Cliff Hicks when describing the best Ducks to ever play the position.
Thurmond punishes opponents on out routes, either by stealing the ball and taking it to the house, or by displaying the philosophy of “whap-whap.”
This term, introduced by Chung to describe Oregon’s defensive backs willingness to hit opponents, became the trademark of senior T.J. Ward’s game.
On '04 National Signing Day, the Ducks made a splash by signing all four blue-chip recruits from De LaSalle HS (Concord, CA)—Cameron Colvin, Jackie Bates, Willie Glasper, and the late Terrance Kelly. No one would have predicted that a fifth senior from that high school would have the biggest impact at Oregon.
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