Oregon Football: Top 50 Players in School History

While the Oregon Ducks football team doesn't have as much of a storied history such as programs like USC and Nebraska, Oregon has had some remarkable players come through and be lucky enough to call themselves Ducks.

From Mel Renfro to LaMichael James, here is a list of the top 50 greatest players in Oregon Ducks football history.

Note: I am leaving out current players on the Ducks roster.

No. 50-Tommy Thompson, Kicker/Punter

Thompson played a dual role for the Ducks and excelled as the punter and the kicker.

Thompson is third all time in career field goals and is ranked ninth in career field-goal percentage.

No. 49-Casey Matthews, Linebacker

Matthews, a fan favorite is one of the reasons Oregon was able to pull off the greatest feat in school history, making it to the BCS National Championship game.

Matthews started three out of his four years at Oregon and anchored one of the Ducks best defenses of all time.

No. 48-Pat Johnson, Wide Receiver

Ranked in the top 10 on Oregon's receiving list, Johnson was truly a wonder to watch and is the rightful owner of Oregon's "The Catch."

No. 47-Jason Fife, Quarterback

Fife replaced Joey Harrington as the quarterback after Harrington graduated and was the No. 2 quarterback in the nation in 2002.

He famously led the Ducks to an upset victory over No. 3 ranked Michigan in 2003, earning him a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

No. 46- Geoff Schwartz, Offensive Guard

Schwartz is one of the all-time greatest guards to have worn an O on his helmet.

He helped pave the way for running backs like Jonathan Stewart, Jeremiah Johnson, Legarette Blount and Terence Whitehead.

No. 45- Jeremiah Johnson, Running Back

I absolutely loved watching Jeremiah Johnson weave his way through defenders wearing the green and yellow, and he deserves some love.

Johnson had to sit behind Jonathan Stewart for most of his career, and then split carries with Legarette Blount as a senior. Even then, Johnson ran for over 1,200 yards and was part of the Oregon history in being the only Oregon team to have two 1,000-yard rushers.

No. 44- Jeremiah Masoli, Quarterback

Masoli would be higher on this list for his accomplishments in 2009, but the man betrayed the university as a whole.

Masoli was arrested twice and kicked off the team right before 2010, thrusting Darron Thomas into the spot light.

His play was great; too bad his character got in the way.

No. 43-TJ Ward, Safety

Ward was a hard-hitting safety for the Ducks and now finds himself playing for the Cleveland Browns.

A member of the 2009 team that won the Pac-10, I have to show Ward some love.

No. 42-Walter Thurmond III, Cornerback

One of the best leaders in Duck history, Thurmond had the talent to be one of the Ducks top cornerbacks.

Sadly, his senior season was cut short four games short after he tore his ACL and MCL against Cal.

Thurmond was the top player in that year's secondarya secondary that has all four playing in the NFL.

No. 41-Jordan Holmes, Center

Holmes was the anchor of Oregon's line from 2008-2010.

He was the center for two Pac-10 champions teams and paved the way for the greatest offenses in Duck history.

Holmes play for the Ducks has got him into camp with the Pittsburgh Steelersa high achievement for a spread offense center.

No. 40-Marcus Woods, Defensive Tackle

Woods was one of the best defensive linemen in Ducks history, and the video will prove it.

Woods was menacing and always had a knack of pushing through the line to get to the quarterback and register the sack. Even against Heisman-winning quarterbacks.

No. 39-Norm Van Brocklin, Quarterback

There have been a total of six Ducks that have been enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Van Brocklin is one of them.

Van Brocklin is ranked highly on Oregon's passing leader board and could be even higher had he stayed for his senior season.

No. 38-Anthony Newman, Cornerback

One of the main reasons that I'm putting Newman on this list is because of what he did against Oregon's prime rival—Oregon State.

In a game against the hated Beavers, Newman recorded three interceptions in a Duck win.

Newman now does pregame announcements for Comcast SportsNet games.

No. 37-Chris Oldham, Kick Returner

Oldham is ranked fourth in return yards in school history and is famous for making several big plays in school history.

He made key interceptions against Tulsa in the 1998 Independence Bowl and leveled quarterbacks on blitz's.

But he's here for his special teams play.

No. 36-Sean Burwell, Running Back

Burwell was an all-purpose machine racking up yards on the ground, through the air and returning.

Burwell is ranked fourth on the rushing yards list in Oregon history and second in total all-purpose yards.

No. 35- LeGarrette Blount, Running Back

While Blount's career ended badly as he missed most of the 2009 season after throwing a punch in the first game of the year, his performance on the field places him on this list.

Blount is still in the record books for Oregon after being one of the two running backs on Oregon's roster to have 1,000 yards rushing in the same year, and he really helped start to get Oregon on the map.

No. 34-Kellen Clemens, Quarterback

Clemens is ranked third all time in total passing at Oregon and began to lead Oregon to a perfect year in his senior season.

Sadly, a broken leg ended those hopes.

No. 33-Steve Smith, Cornerback

Ranked 10th all time in interceptions at Oregon, Smith was a shutdown corner who was a phenomenal athlete.

Smith was a part of one of the greatest Duck defenses in history and helped lead Oregon to a No. 2 ranking in 2001.

No. 32-Kenny Wheaton, Cornerback

While Wheaton was a good player, the main reason why he is on this list is because of "The Pick."

Wheaton helped change the dynamic of Oregon football, and his interception against Washington symbolized a changing of the guard.

Before every game, Wheaton's "Pick" is played on the JumboTron at Autzen Stadium.

No. 31-Tony Hartley, Wide Receiver

Hartley is ranked second in receiving yards in Oregon history and fifth in receptions.

One of the fastest players to wear the Green and Yellow, Hartley really put himself on this list after his great performance against hated rivalWashington.

In 1998, Hartley finished the game with an outstanding 242 yards receiving.

No. 30-Reuben Droughns, Running Back

Droughns was a bruising back that finished his career at Oregon as one of the greatest running backs to come through the school.

Droughns finished with over 2,000 yards in his career and was a force on the offense.

No. 29- Cristin McLemore, Wide Receiver

McLemore finished his career at Oregon with an outstanding 24 touchdowns.

A fan favorite and one of the greatest receivers to come through the university, McLemore was known for scoring on big plays.

No. 28- Brandon Bair, Defensive Tackle

Bair was a force on the Oregon defensive line in the past couple years.

Originally a tight end, Bair bulked up and switched over to the defensive side of the ball.

He was one of the leading candidates for the Pac-10 defensive player of the year award last year and was one of the reasons why the Ducks made it to the national championship.

No. 27-Akili Smith, Quarterback

The Pac-10 offensive player of the year in 1998, Smith is unfortunately most known as one of the biggest NFL draft busts.

A dual-threat quarterback who scored 33 total touchdowns in his senior year, Smith was still one of the greatest Oregon quarterbacks.

No. 26-Terrence Whitehead, Running Back

Whitehead was a dominant Duck back who finished his career high on the offensive leaderboard.

A versatile player who was underrated, Whitehead finished his Duck career third all time in rushing and fifth on all-purpose yards.

No. 25- Kevin Mitchell, Linebacker

Mitchell was one of the most intimidating Oregon defenders in recent memory.

Mitchell ranks in the top five in career tackles and tackles for loss in Oregon history.

Forty-four tackles for a loss and 366 total tackles is an impressive feat for a linebacker from any school.

No. 24-Ed Dickson, Tight End

Dickson is the greatest tight end in Duck history.

He had great talent and was a good blocker and even better receiver.

Look at his three touchdowns in an upset win over sixth-ranked Cal in 2009.

No. 23-Ernest Jones, Linebacker

Jones is ranked for both tackles for a loss and sacks.

He was intimidating and couldn't be stopped and deserves to be in the top 25 best Ducks of all time.

No. 22-Tom Graham, Linebacker

Graham(52), is Oregon's career leader in tackles and was a dominant force on the defensive side of the ball.

Together with Dan Fouts and Booby Moore, Graham helped bring some of the few bright years to Oregon before the recent success of the century came.

No. 21-Jairus Byrd, Safety

Byrd is ranked third all time in interceptions and strengthened the Ducks defense in 2008 and 2009, some of the best years in Duck history.

One of the ball-hawking safeties that Oregon is famous for, Byrd helped revitalize the Oregon defense.

No. 20-Demetrius Williams

An electrifying receiver known for making some great grabs, Williams was one of the greatest receivers in Oregon history until Jeff Maehl came around.

Williams was Kellen Clemens' favorite target.

Williams finished his Oregon career with 162 receptions, 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns. All of which rank him in the top five.

No. 19-Devan Long, Defensive End

Long was one of the greatest defensive ends in Oregon history.

He ranks in the top five in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks at Oregon and really was one of the most intimidating forces on defense.

Long was also a three-time All-Pac-10 pick.

No. 18-Vince Goldsmith, Defensive End

Despite his small stature, Goldsmith was a force on defense.

He was twice an All-Pac-8 pick and was voted to the Oregon All-Time Team by the Oregon Register Guard.

No. 17-Patrick Chung, Safety

Chung is personally one of my favorite players in Oregon history.

His dominance and poise on defense made him fun to watch, and he really helped get Oregon on the map.

The four-year starter was one of the greatest Ducks in history and now plays for the New England Patriots.

No. 16-Rashad Bauman, Cornerback

A true cover corner, Bauman shutdown receivers for entire games.

Bauman was the star on defense for Oregon in their magical 2001 season which saw them finish as the No. 2 team in the country.

No. 15-Kenny Rowe, Defensive End

Rowe was the Pac-10 leader in sacks in 2009 and was the defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl, despite the fact that Oregon lost the game.

Rowe, despite his small size, played best against bigger quarterbacks. Despite having three inches and 20 pounds on him, Rowe was able to wreak havoc on Terrell Pryor and Cam Newton.

No. 14-Ahmad Rashad, Running Back

A dual-threat player, Rashad, also known as Bobby Moore, contributed in the running game and passing game.

He will go down as one of the greatest Duck players of all time because of his versatility.

No. 13-Dan Fouts, Quarterback

Known more for his NFL career with the Chargers, Fouts was one of the greatest quarterbacks to come out of Oregon.

In his two years starting, Fouts threw for over 6,000 yards.

No. 12-Jeff Maehl, Wide Receiver

Maehl is one of the greatest receivers in Duck history.

Despite playing in a more run-orientated offense, Maehl had more than a 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns in 2010 and helped lead Oregon to the Natty.

No. 11-Saul Patu, Defensive End

Saul Patu is ranked second on Oregon's all-time sack list, first for a defensive end.

Patu was one of the faces of the Oregon defense, and he helped the Ducks get to where they got in 2001.

No. 10-Dave Wilcox

Remember those six Ducks that are in the NFL Hall of Fame? Wilcox is one of them.

One of the most dominant defenders in Duck history, Wilcox went on to have success in the NFL.

A hard-hitting linebacker who was an intimidating force on defense, Wilcox is one of the all-time greats.

No. 9-Samie Parker, Wide Receiver

Parker, statistically wise, is the greatest receiver in Oregon history.

He's ranked first in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and was Joey Harrington's favorite targets.

No. 8-Mel Renfro, Athlete

One of the greatest all-around athletes, Renfro starred on both offense and defense as a running back and defensive back.

Inducted into both the college and NFL Hall of Fame, Renfro was one of the true pioneers of the Duck football program.

No. 7-George Shaw, Athlete

A true Iron Man, Shaw is not only one of the greatest quarterbacks in Duck history, but also one of the greatest defensive backs in Duck history.

Shaw was an All-American in both football and baseball at Oregon, and then, went on to seven seasons in the NFL.

No. 6-Jonathan Stewart

Known for his versatility and athleticism, Stewart was one of the greatest commitments the Ducks have ever received.

Stewart set the school record for rushing yards in a season in 2007 with over 1,700 and would be ranked higher had he stayed for his senior year.

No. 5-Derek Loville, Running Back

The stats don't lie. Loville is ranked first in all-pupose yards in a career and was first in rushing until LaMichael James topped that record earlier this year.

Loville was the greatest running back of all time in Oregon history and is one of six Pac-10 players with over 4,000 yards rushing in a career.

No. 4-Haloti Ngata, Defensive Tackle

Ngata was overpowering and is the greatest defensive player in Duck history and was the first top commit the Ducks ever got.

He was a mammoth and could have done even more had he not forgone his senior season.

No. 3- Joey Harrington, Quarterback

Harrington showed the Ducks their real first success.

He led them to a one-loss season in 2001 and a No. 2 ranking after beating Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.

Still ranked as one of the best Oregon passers, Harrington started to get the ball rolling for Oregon.

No. 2-Gary Zimmerman, Offensive Line

One of the six Ducks in the Hall of Fame, Zimmerman is the greatest offensive linemen in Oregon history and paved the way for offensive success for Oregon.

No. 1-Dennis Dixon, Quarterback

And the shocker.

Dixon was a tremendous player and did a lot of great things for the Ducks.

He was a dual-threat quarterback who was a Heisman favorite before tearing his ACL twice. But the real reason why I have him as the No. 1 Duck in Oregon history? Because of what he did for the program.

Since Dixon left, Oregon has won two bowl games but have qualified for two BCS games and reached the No. 1 ranking for the first time.