Ducks Loose For
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
EULESS, Texas — Two of the defining characteristics of 2014-15 Oregon football are its uncharacteristically wide-spread commitment to the concept of "team," and its ability to balance focused preparation with a free-spirited demeanor.
A guy who embodied both traits in his one season with the Ducks, Pro Bowl offensive guard Kyle Long of the Chicago Bears, was thus a fitting choice to address the team Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of Oregon's final practice of the season, prior to Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship.
"You've done a tremendous job this year of coming together as a team, as a tribe," Long told the Ducks. "The hay is in the barn. Coach Helfrich has got you on the right path."
The Ducks practiced again at Trinity High, utilizing the school's indoor practice facility for today's "Fast Friday" workout. Afterward, the team bussed over to AT&T Stadium to take photos and familiarize themselves with the venue for Monday's game against Ohio State.
There were a few competing dynamics in play for the final practice of the season. There was a touch of the bittersweet, watching close friends like Derrick Malone Jr., Tony Washington and Rodney Hardrick, or Marcus Mariota and Hroniss Grasu, walk off the practice field together for the last time.
But it was also incredibly energetic and loose, capped by a PAT contest to close practice won by redshirting offensive lineman Braden Eggert over coaching intern Matt Noyer.
It was hard not to get sentimental when both those dynamics were in play midway through practice, as Mariota and Grasu held their traditional Friday passing accuracy contest. Mariota hit the crossbar first — Long even snuck one in before Grasu did — but it's always a light moment, a bit of fun for two of the Ducks' best players and leaders.
"Overall I felt we had a good balance; you've got to find the fine line between having fun and remaining focused, but for us we've kind of played better loose all year, so it was a good practice for us today," Mariota said, adding generously that Grasu "usually" hits the goal post first.
As they walked off the field, Malone and Hardrick shared a quick hug. The former high school teammates played together throughout their teenage years and at Oregon, but Malone is a senior while Hardrick has another year of eligibility left.
"I've been playing football with this jokester since I was 15, 14," Malone said as Hardrick mugged to try and throw off his concentration. "So it's our last practice together. It's kind of crazy."
Oregon's "Fast Friday" practices are a quick-tempo walk-through of various situations the Ducks could face in a game, emphasizing things like concentration on the sideline in the event of substitutions following a turnover or special teams scenario.
"When we're in there we're handling business, we're focused," Malone said. "But when we have time to have fun, we live it up and enjoy this process."
After practice broke up, Helfrich sent coaches and other staff out to the high school's outdoor field to make sure it was spotless following the Ducks' two weekend practices, leaving players to tidy up the indoor facility. Then the team spent perhaps an hour at AT&T Stadium, where a couple of players commented on the quality of the turf, saying it should be a fast track for the title game.
Later Sunday, the Ducks had meetings scheduled. As for practices this season, however, the hay is in the barn.
