Photo by: Eric Evans Photography/ University of Oregon
Jaqua Ceremony Honors Herbert's Academic All-America Status
04/06/18 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
A new floorboard in the Jaqua Center bears the name of UO quarterback Justin Herbert, who in December was named first-team academic all-America.
Among his duties as executive director of Oregon's Jaqua Center for Student-Athletes, Steve Stolp serves as academic advisor for UO quarterback Justin Herbert.
That's Justin Herbert, first-team academic all-American.
"There's not much work to do there, obviously," Stolp said Friday, at a ceremony to mark Herbert's all-America selection. "… He's super-smart, humble, a hard worker — he's just a great student."
Adorning the main hall on the first floor of the Jaqua Center are wooden floorboards engraved with the names of Oregon's all-time all-Americans. On Friday, Herbert's name joined the others, when the newly engraved floorboard bearing his name was unveiled at a ceremony attended by his family, UO administrators and Oregon football staffers.
A biology major, Herbert has maintained a 4.06 cumulative grade-point average entering this week's start to the spring quarter of his sophomore year. Herbert also had a 167.52 passer rating in eight starts for the Ducks last fall, which would have ranked fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision had his season not been abbreviated due to injury.
To be eligible for selection to the CoSIDA academic All-America team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, appear in at least 50 percent of their team's games and be named to a CoSIDA All-District Team. The all-America team was announced in December.
"Our mission is to strive for excellence in everything we do," UO director of athletics Rob Mullens said Friday, in remarks preceding the unveiling of Herbert's floorboard. "And what we're about to see here epitomizes excellence. He's been a phenomenal representative of Oregon football, the university and our community. We couldn't be more proud."
Herbert is a graduate of Sheldon High School in Eugene, and stayed home to play for the Ducks. He is the ninth first-team academic all-American in UO football history, the first since defensive end Nick Reed in 2008 and the third UO quarterback so honored, following Bill Musgrave (1990) and Joey Harrington (2001).
Balancing athletics and academics "hasn't been easy," Herbert said. But with careful time management, he's been able to excel in each.
"If I get done with my schoolwork, maybe there's 15 to 30 minutes of TV at the end of the night," he said. "But it's football and school, all day."
During the recently completed winter quarter, Herbert took BIO 212, innocuously titled "General Biology II: Organisms." Stolp said the course title belied BIO 212's status as the university's "toughest pre-med course."
Undeterred, Herbert achieved an A in the class. His performance was such that he was asked to participate in it again this spring, this time as a teacher's aide.
"That's impressive," Stolp said. "So he's an impressive young man, on the field and off the field."
In that, Herbert follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, the former UO receiver Rich Schwab. A member of the 1963 Sun Bowl team for the Ducks, Schwab passed away in January. His initials — RBS — appear in the lower right corner of Herbert's engraved floorboard in the Jaqua Center, a new tradition to be enacted in all cases of an academic all-American who also is an Oregon legacy.
"He's one of the best men that I know," Herbert said. "He's a role model to not just me, but everyone he met. He's a great person, and a guy I'll never forget and will aspire to be like."
Herbert said he's been interested in biology since first studying the subject in high school. He has considered medical school for the coming years, though his future on the football field also looks pretty bright.
"I think it's best to have all your bases covered," Herbert said. "Doing my best in academics is something that's important to me as a person.
"Taking care of what's put in front of me with school is something I really to try focus on. Things have a funny way of working out, so whatever's in front of me, I'll do my best to get done."
That's Justin Herbert, first-team academic all-American.
"There's not much work to do there, obviously," Stolp said Friday, at a ceremony to mark Herbert's all-America selection. "… He's super-smart, humble, a hard worker — he's just a great student."
Adorning the main hall on the first floor of the Jaqua Center are wooden floorboards engraved with the names of Oregon's all-time all-Americans. On Friday, Herbert's name joined the others, when the newly engraved floorboard bearing his name was unveiled at a ceremony attended by his family, UO administrators and Oregon football staffers.
A biology major, Herbert has maintained a 4.06 cumulative grade-point average entering this week's start to the spring quarter of his sophomore year. Herbert also had a 167.52 passer rating in eight starts for the Ducks last fall, which would have ranked fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision had his season not been abbreviated due to injury.
To be eligible for selection to the CoSIDA academic All-America team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, appear in at least 50 percent of their team's games and be named to a CoSIDA All-District Team. The all-America team was announced in December.
"Our mission is to strive for excellence in everything we do," UO director of athletics Rob Mullens said Friday, in remarks preceding the unveiling of Herbert's floorboard. "And what we're about to see here epitomizes excellence. He's been a phenomenal representative of Oregon football, the university and our community. We couldn't be more proud."
Herbert is a graduate of Sheldon High School in Eugene, and stayed home to play for the Ducks. He is the ninth first-team academic all-American in UO football history, the first since defensive end Nick Reed in 2008 and the third UO quarterback so honored, following Bill Musgrave (1990) and Joey Harrington (2001).
Balancing athletics and academics "hasn't been easy," Herbert said. But with careful time management, he's been able to excel in each.
"If I get done with my schoolwork, maybe there's 15 to 30 minutes of TV at the end of the night," he said. "But it's football and school, all day."
During the recently completed winter quarter, Herbert took BIO 212, innocuously titled "General Biology II: Organisms." Stolp said the course title belied BIO 212's status as the university's "toughest pre-med course."
Undeterred, Herbert achieved an A in the class. His performance was such that he was asked to participate in it again this spring, this time as a teacher's aide.
"That's impressive," Stolp said. "So he's an impressive young man, on the field and off the field."
In that, Herbert follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, the former UO receiver Rich Schwab. A member of the 1963 Sun Bowl team for the Ducks, Schwab passed away in January. His initials — RBS — appear in the lower right corner of Herbert's engraved floorboard in the Jaqua Center, a new tradition to be enacted in all cases of an academic all-American who also is an Oregon legacy.
"He's one of the best men that I know," Herbert said. "He's a role model to not just me, but everyone he met. He's a great person, and a guy I'll never forget and will aspire to be like."
Herbert said he's been interested in biology since first studying the subject in high school. He has considered medical school for the coming years, though his future on the football field also looks pretty bright.
"I think it's best to have all your bases covered," Herbert said. "Doing my best in academics is something that's important to me as a person.
"Taking care of what's put in front of me with school is something I really to try focus on. Things have a funny way of working out, so whatever's in front of me, I'll do my best to get done."
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football2025 Oregon Football Uniform Reveal | Oklahoma State
Wednesday, September 03
Dave Iuli: "The connection’s unbelievable."
Wednesday, September 03
Tionne Gray: "Learning my way."
Wednesday, September 03
Dan Lanning: "Activate that communication."
Wednesday, September 03
