Oregon football all-time roster: Defensive starters and backups
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
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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
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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 11 sacks. In his career, he was credited with 167 tackles and 26.5 sacks.
He went undrafted in 2001 and played sporadically for the Jets, Patriots, and Titans before playing six seasons in the Arena League. Patu is currently at Capital Christian High School in Sacramento, Calif. as head coach and advancement director.
Backup DE: Devan Long
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Long burst onto the scene his junior year after having sub-par seasons up to that. But in 2003, Long led the team with 10 sacks to go along with his 40 tackles, 16 for loss. He followed that up with 46 tackles, 13.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks.
After college, Long went into acting where he has had numerous roles on television. He has appeared on shows such as NCIS, The Rookie, Bosch, and Doom Patrol. Long is currently a regular on the CBS show Ghosts playing Thorfinn, a Viking from the 1000s.
Backup DE: Kenny Rowe
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Kenny Rowe was another one of those players that took a little time to develop, but when he did, he was one of the best Pac-10 defensive ends out there.
He finished his career (2007-10) with 108 tackles, 37.5 for loss, and 23.5 sacks. In Oregon’s Rose Bowl season of 2009, Rowe had 11.5 sacks to go with 43 tackles and 15 for loss. Rowe followed that up with 47 tackles, 16.5 for loss and seven sacks. He was also second in the nation with five forced fumbles, which led the Pac-10.
Starting DT: Haloti Ngata
(Thomas Patterson/Statesman Journal)
Arguably, Haloti Ngata could be called the best defensive player in Oregon history. He certainly was the biggest recruit at the time and the biggest person to put on an Oregon uniform. at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, Ngata was a consensus All-American.
He played in just one game in 2003, but the nose tackle still managed to rack up 151 tackles and 10 sacks in his three-plus seasons. He was eventually drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens where Ngata was named to the Pro Bowl five times, helped Baltimore win their first Super Bowl, and is in that franchise’s ring of honor.
Starting DT: Vince Goldsmith
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Vince Goldsmith played for Oregon from 1977-80 and was inducted into the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. The defensive tackle overcame his 5-foot-11, 230-pound frame to earn first-team all-conference honors on two occasions. The 1980 second-team Associated Press All-American recorded 13 tackles in his collegiate debut while starting his first game as a true freshman. His most productive year took place as a sophomore when he tallied 87 tackles (62 unassisted) and 14 tackles for losses. He completed his collegiate career recording 281 tackles, including 34 for loss.
He also excelled as a two-sport standout on the collegiate level as well as the nation’s No. 1-ranked prep shot putter and NCAA meet qualifier. Following the completion of his Oregon career, he enjoyed a 10-year tenure in the Canadian Football League with Saskatchewan, Calgary, Toronto and Hamilton, earning the league’s award as the most outstanding rookie in 1981.
Backup DT: Igor Olshansky
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Igor Olshansky was one of the largest human beings ever to put on an Oregon Duck uniform. At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Olshansky was more than a handful for opposing offensive lines.
He was also a crowd favorite and when he would make a play, the fans inside Autzen Stadium would yell out IGOR in unison which would ring out all the way to Springfield.
But Olshansky was much more than his cool name and big size. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers where he spent five seasons before going to Dallas for two years and Miami for one.
Backup DT: Matt Brock
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Matt Brock played for the Ducks from 1985-88 when the Ducks were on the verge of making a bowl game, but just missed the post-season on a couple of occasions.
In his freshman season, Brock collected 78 tackles, eight for loss, and three sacks. After an injury-riddled sophomore season, Brock returned to form to collect 133 tackles, 19 for loss, and 14 sacks in his final two seasons.
Brock went on to play for Green Bay for six seasons and the New York Jets for two before retiring after the 1996 season.
Starting LB: Dave Wilcox
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It could be said Dave Wilcox is the greatest football player the state of Oregon has ever produced.
The native of Vale played just two seasons at Oregon after transferring from junior college. Wilcox’s play on defense is what caught the attention of many professional scouts. He was selected as the squad’s most improved player for the 1963 season, voted as the most valuable lineman in the Hula Bowl all-star contest and selected in the third round of the NFL draft by San Francisco. He was five times an all-pro selection and played in seven Pro Bowls and is considered one of the 49ers’ best linebackers ever.
Wilcox was a part of that 1963 Sun Bowl team which had several high-profile players, such as Bob Berry and Mel Renfro. Along with Wilcox, they spearheaded a defense that blanked Oregon State until the underdog Ducks were comfortably ahead, 31-0, and throttled SMU in the Sun Bowl when Oregon led by 21-0 after three quarters.
Wilcox was inducted into the Oregon Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Starting LB: Tom Graham
Inducted into the Ducks Hall of Fame in 2001, Graham was a member of an Oregon defense that was often overshadowed by legendary QB Dan Fouts and Bobby Moore (later known as Ahmad Rashad). Despite that, Graham left Oregon with a school record in total tackles (433), with 206 of those coming in his sophomore season. In his final game with the Ducks, Graham amassed 41 tackles, recovered a fumble, and blocked a field goal.
Graham was later drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos in 1971.
Starting LB: Casey Matthews
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Being able to stand out as a defensive player on a team mostly known for its offense isn’t easy, but Casey Matthews definitely stood out. He was the emotional leader of Oregon’s 2010 team that went all the way to the BCS national championship game.
In that season, Matthews collected 79 tackles, nine for loss and three sacks. But he really showed out in that title game against Auburn where he chased Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton all night long and made sure Newton earned everything he got. Matthews also tipped a pass that was eventually intercepted, which led to the game-tying touchdown.
Matthews ended his college career with 245 tackles, 30.5 for loss, nine sacks and four interceptions.
Backup LB: Kevin Mitchell
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Kevin Mitchell had a stellar career from 2000-2003 and was given all-conference honors multiple times. He helped lead Oregon’s win in the Fiesta Bowl and finished his career with 366 career tackles and an impressive 44 career tackles for loss.
Backup LB: Troy Dye
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Troy Dye is among the most popular Ducks in recent memory thanks to his stellar play on the field and gregarious personality off of it. Dye remains the only player in Oregon history to lead the team in tackles for four consecutive season, and he sits 3rd in program history with 397 career tackles.
A core member of Oregon’s Rose Bowl team in 2019, Dye was later drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.
Backup LB: Peter Sirmon
Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport
If it wasn’t for an injury that kept him out of the 1998 season, Peter Sirmon could easily be a starter on this list. In his first season in 1997, he led the Ducks with 115 tackles, 17 for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions. Sirmon came back in 1999 and dominated with 109 tackles, 12 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
Sirmon was selected in the fourth round of the NFL draft by Tennessee where he spent the next seven years before retiring. He is currently the defensive coordinator at California with Oregon teammate Justin Wilcox as head coach.
Starting CB: Mel Renfro
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Mel Renfro was an enthralling player for his time, playing both offense and defense as a running back and cornerback. Renfro won the Maxwell Award as the team’s top RB in his senior season, and then went on to be one of the best Dallas Cowboys to ever play, becoming the 5th player ever to get his number enshrined in the team’s Ring of Honor. Renfro had 10 Pro Bowl appearances and won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys.
Starting CB: Alex Molden
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Oregon’s Gang Green defense had two of the best corners playing together in Duck football history with Kenny Wheaton and Alex Molden. As a four-year starter, Molden collected 11 interceptions and a touchdown. Molden went on to play for the Saints for five seasons, the Chargers for two and the Lions for one season before retiring. He managed to intercept 12 passes in his eight-year career.
Backup CB: Anthony Newman
A three-year starter for the Ducks, Newman, an Oregon kid from Beaverton, finished his career with 247 tackles and was named both an all-conference and All-American player in his senior year. Newman went on to have a 12-year NFL career.
Backup CB: Kenny Wheaton
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Kenny Wheaton is responsible for the single greatest defensive play in Oregon history which is simply known as The Pick. His 97-yard Pick-6 to defeat Washington in 1994 propelled the Ducks to win their first Pac-10 title in three decades and a Rose Bowl appearance that changed everything in Eugene.
But he was much more than just a one-hit-wonder. Wheaton finished his three-year career with 11 interceptions and three touchdowns. He was then drafted by Dallas in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft. After three injury-filled seasons with the Cowboys, Wheaton spent one season in the Arena League before having a nice career in the CFL where he played six seasons with the Toronto Argonauts.
Starting Safety: Patrick Chung
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Patrick Chung was an early success for the Ducks, earning first-team freshman all-American honors in 2005. He earned multiple all-American honors during his four-year career at Oregon and started in 51 straight games during that time.
Chung went on to be drafted by the New England Patriots where he won multiple Super Bowls and stands as one of the winningest professional Ducks of all time.
Starting Safety: TJ Ward
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
To this day, TJ Ward remains one of the hardest-hitting safeties in Oregon Ducks history. He finished with 190 tackles, 3 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles, and was a core piece of the end of the Mike Bellotti era. Ward went on to get drafted by the Cleveland Browns and was a pivotal member of the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 win.
Backup Safety: Jairus Byrd
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In his 37-straight starts with the Ducks, Jairus Byrd intercepted an incredible 17 passes, which is one behind George Shaw, who holds the Oregon record. Byrd finished with 203 tackles and was later drafted by the Buffalo Bills.
Backup Safety: Chad Cota
A member of the 2012 Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame Induction class, Chad Cota was a core member of the Oregon “Gang Green” defense that won the Rose Bowl in 1994. Cota made 43 consecutive starts with the Ducks and was name the Most Outstanding Player by the team after his senior season. Now, Cota’s son, Chase, will look to carry on the legacy in his senior season at Oregon.
