When many college football fans think about the Oregon Ducks, they think of offense. Thanks to Chip Kelly and his revolutionary blur offense that took the sport by storm just over a decade ago, Oregon has been synonymous with 40-second touchdown drives and blowouts that let third-string players see the field before halftime.
Despite that, the Ducks have a rich history when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. From guys like Haloti Ngata to Dave Wilcox, and Mel Renfro to Patrick Chung, Oregon’s record books are littered with talents that often went on to the NFL level and made a name for themselves.
Earlier this week, we started a new series at USA TODAY by looking back at the all-time roster for Oregon’s offensive starters and backup. We continue that series now with a look at the all-time defensive starters and backups who played in Eugene.
Check out Ducks Wire’s all-time roster for offensive starters and backups
Check out our other College Wire all-time defenses: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC
Starting DE: Nick Reed
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Nick Reed was a two-time All-American that helped the Ducks win two bowl games and propelled them to their first Rose Bowl since that 1994 season. He finished with a school record of 29.5 sacks, which ranks fourth in Pac-10 history. His 51.5 career tackles for loss also is a school record.
Unfortunately, his college success didn’t translate into the NFL where he was continually banged up and finally called it a career in 2012.
Starting DE: Saul Patu
Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport
Saul Patu is one of those players that improved every single season until he absolutely dominated his senior season. In 2000, Patu racked up 66 tackles, 20 for loss, and…
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