New Omni-turf beautifies Autzen,
makes game safer for the athletes
By Joshua Perry
Of the Emerald
Oregon football fans will have a treat in store for
them this season when they take in a home game at
Autzen Stadium. But it won’t be due to unusually en
thusiastic crowds or the concession-stand food... the
highlight is the new playing field.
A new $363,500 Omni-turf system, the first of its
kind installed on a United States football field, replaced
Autzen’s 15-year-old Astro-turf surface last August.
The new surface was funded largely through the
Athletic Department’s successful “Quack Attack” pro
motional campaign.
“Omni-turf is a complete system,” said Mike
Sweeney of OmniSport International based in Holland.
“Astro-turf is more or less a carpet with no substance to
it.”
Omni-turf is different from other artificial surfaces
because there is 250 tons of sand between the fibers to
simulate natural grass, Sweeney said. The sand aids in
drainage, which helps the polypropelenee fibers stay
erect, last longer and allows good traction. This results
in less sliding for players when they’re tackled.
“With the Omni-turf system, you always have
three-quarters of an inch of cushion,” Sweeney said.
This helps to alleviate injuries caused by many artificial
turfs. Oregon, over the past several years, has had pro
blems with injuries directly related to Autzen’s old
hard surface.
“It’s like going to the Oregon coast and playing in
the dry sand,” said Oregon fullback Kevin Willhite,
who was troubled with a shoulder injury throughout
last season.
‘ ‘When a player impacts on an artificial turf, he just
has the fibers to absorb the energy of the impact, and he
Emerald file graphic
more or less just bounces off,” Sweeney added. “With
Omni-turf, it is very similar to natural grass because the
sand actually absorbs the shock as the player hits the
turf.
“It’s softer, and we’ve got it wall-to-wall, which
makes it safer,” said Oregon head coach Rich Brooks.
“I think it’s going to reduce our injuries.”
This surface has another pleasing feature as well.
Instead of painting the yard lines onto the surface as is
done on Astro-turf, Omni-turf white fibers because
paint has a tendency to cake and harden.
“When you paint synthetic carpet, it becomes very
hard,” Sweeney said. “With the Omni-turf system, you
never have that paint build up.
"The fact that we don’t have painted-on lines,
which was dangerous, is very pleasing,” Brooks added.
Even though the surface has just been installed, the
praise is already coming in. “A lot of people are saying,
even now, that the Oregon football field is the most
beautiful and best in the world,” Sweeney said. “You
have to see it to believe it.”
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SALUTE T01VTALY
Willhite plans for record season
By Joshua Perry
Of the Emerald
The past two years haven’t been the best ones for Oregon foot
ball — and particularly so for tailback Kevin Willhite.
Willhite, a sophomore, was highly touted when he signed with
the Ducks in the spring of 1982. At that time, he was picked as one
of the best recruits in the nation after rushing 4,901 yards and scor
ing 72 touchdowns during his prep career in Rancho Cordova
Calif.
But the 1982 football season was met with disappointment for
Willhite. He was forced to redshirt the season because of a recurr
ing torn hamstring injury he had suffered as a senior in high
school.
Willhite was finally given a clean bill of health at the beginn
ing of the 1983 season, and was again billed as the cure-all for
Oregon’s rushing problems. But injury struck again, and this time
it was Willhite’s shoulder. Even with the injury, the untested
freshman started three games, carried the ball 41 times, gained 222
yards on the ground and caught seven passes for 66 yards.
“I dislocated my shoulder 16 times last year,” Willhite said.
But I play with a lot of heart, and I didn’t really care about the
shoulder.”
During the '83 season, the media had many expectations of
Willhite and often criticized his play as well as his lack of time on
the field.
Willhite said he tried not to let media pressure affect his play
ing last season, though it wasn't always easy. “The media kept say
ing ‘this is going to be a great year.* So everybody said that 1 wasn’t
doing what I was supposed to do,” he added.
“A lot of pressure is off me this year because 1 established
myself as a blocker and a player in the Pac-10 last season,” Willhite
continued.
To keep his spirits high, Willhite has set a personal goal for
himself to rush a total of 1,000 yards this season. “All I want to do
now is go in there and play, so I can try to get a lot of carries and
reach 1,000 yards.”
TEETH
Ignore them
and they will
go away
Teeth Cleaning, Exam
and
X-Rays as needed
Will Morningsun, D O S.
Thomas R. Huhn, D.D.S.
call for appointment
746-6517
| Vi miles Irom campus, next to Bike Path
528 Mill St., Springfield
Courtesy of Athletic Dept.
With media pressure and two
injuty-laden seasons behind
him, sophomore tailback,
Kevin Willhite, has high
hopes for this year.