EUGENE – One of Oregon’s most storied football teams in the program’s 109-year history, a track and field standout and a seven-time All-America swimmer as well as a versatile member of the Ducks’ 1957 Rose Bowl contingent will be inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its 14th class during the weekend of Oct. 14-15.

The inductees, who will join the previous 140 elite individuals and 14 teams who have been enshrined as part of athletics showcase that originated in 1992, will be formally honored at a Friday night banquet in the Club at Autzen followed by an introduction during halftime of the weekend’s Oregon-Washington football game.

The Ducks’ 1994 football team, which was coming off a 5-6 season from the previous year and was picked to finish no higher than seventh in the Pacific-10 Conference standings before the start of the year, overcame a 1-2 start to claim its first conference championship and a Rose Bowl berth in 37 years.

The two individual inductees include Dick Boyd (1962-65), who was a seven-time All-America swimmer and one of the program’s best of all time; and Jack Morris (1955-57), who established numerous school records while aiding the Ducks’ run to the 1957 Rose Bowl.

Each spring a selection committee reviews the list of nominees submitted from among the Ducks’ former athletes, coaches and administrators, with their eligibility for inclusion commencing 10 years following their departure from the University.

A limited number of tickets to the Friday night induction banquet are available to the general public for $50 each, and may be reserved by calling the Duck Athletic Fund office at (541) 346-5433.

Dick Boyd - Men’s Swimming
(1962-65)

The seven-time All-America swimmer was unsurpassed in the sport in school history, becoming Oregon’s first standout ever to advance to the finals of the NCAA championships in the sport. Before he was through, the three-time team captain and most valuable performer had accumulated eight conference titles while leading the Ducks to a tie for 10th in the national collegiate meet in 1965. The former four-time Oregon high school state champion finished fourth in the 500-yard freestyle and 1650-yard freestyle, as well as eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay. At one time, he held school records in as many as four events (200 individual medley, 400 individual medley, 400 freestyle and 1650 freestyle). He completed his competitive career in masters competition as the age group national champion and also held a pair of world records.

Jack Morris - Football
(1955-57)

The former Medford High School multi-sport standout helped supply part of a one-two punch that was instrumental in Oregon’s Rose Bowl run in 1957 as well as the years leading up to the school’s first post-season showing in nine years. Playing both offense and defense, it was not uncommon to see him excel as a blocker, receiver, tackler, punter and placekicker in the same game. As a sophomore, Morris set the Ducks’ single-season scoring record (68 points) while initiating his school-record string of 23 consecutive PATs. In 1956, he led the team in rushing as a junior (519 yards). As a senior, his then school record of 212 yards rushing against USC still ranks eighth among the program’s all time single-game efforts almost 50 years later. By the time he was through, the team captain ranked third in career points scored (130) as well as career rushing yards (1,631 yards). Following his collegiate career, he enjoyed a stint in the NFL that included stops in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, leading the Rams in interceptions (6) as a rookie in 1958. Already inducted into Oregon’s Hall of Fame as a member of the Ducks’ 1958 Rose Bowl team, he also was honored as a charter member of Medford’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

1994 Football Team

It was a determined Oregon football that bounced off the mat from a 1-2 start to win eight of its next nine regular season games en route to its first conference championship in 37 years. Buoyed by their first win over USC in the Memorial Coliseum since 1971, as well as back-to-back wins over top-10 ranked Washington (9) and Arizona (8), the Ducks battled No. 2 Penn State even for most of three quarters before falling short of the unbeaten Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Danny O’Neil contributed to no fewer than 13 Rose Bowl records to share the game’s player-of-the-game honors as the Ducks became only the second team in the bowl’s history to accumulate more than 500 yards of total offense. The Pac-10 champions also claimed or shared no fewer than 16 school records, including most wins (9-4). Five players claimed first-team all-conference honors -- O’Neil, Chad Cota, Alex Molden, Herman O’Berry and Ricky Whittle -- while Cota (SS) and O’Berry (CB) earned first-team All-America acclaim. Head Coach Rich Brooks earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year accolades and was named National Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America. Yet few plays would be more associated with the team’s success than Kenny Wheaton’s 97-yard interception return for a touchdown that would seal it’s 31-20 win over the Huskies.

- www.GoDucks.com -