GRID PROFILE
Kaanapu paves way for productive Duck attack
By Paul Morgan
Emerald Sports Reporter
Offensive tackle Todd
kaanapu is an easygoing char
acter lie's quick to give an
opinion and expresses his feel
ings with an easy smile
If it weren't for his ti-foot- 1.
271-pound hody. it would lie
hard to imagine kaanapu open
ing a hole in the Stanford de
fense by plowing over one de
fender. then watt lung tailbai k
Sean Hurwell run 75 yards for a
touchdown while pinning
down a second one on the same
play Hut he did just that last
weekend
kaanapu has seen a consider
able amount ol playing time as
a starter for the Ducks this year,
and has been a factor in an of
fensive line that's been a spear
head for the Oregon offense
With four experienced players
graduating from the offensive
line after last year, many saw
this year's line crew as a week
link in the Oregon offense
Hut kuaiiepti and his mates
have proved they are .1 fon e
that defenses must rei kon w ith
The Oregon offense has
pounded out 1.2H7 yards on the
ground this season, the filth
ranked rushing offense in the
Pacifit 10 Conference
The line has also allowed
only 17 sacks this year while
helping Oregon hold the set
mill best passing offense in the
conference, and only one of
those sat ks has linen attributed
direr tlv to kaanapu
"Since I came here I've no
ticed how tile level of play has
changed.” Kaanapu said. "We
play (letter la-cause we believe
we should, anti we do it in a
business-like fashion. Kach
year the big focus is on the of
fensive line: Are we going to
produce? Hut it has to do with
our own confidence, and not
what people say.”
Of the 12 players on the of
fensive line depth chart.
Senior tackle’s easy-going nature deceptive on gridiron
Photo b> Amlrr Ktfiurn
Offensive tackle Todd Kaanapu has paved the way for tailback Sean Hum ell this season as well
as the rest of the Oregon attack.
kaanapu. Scot Boatright, Andy
Sunia. and Collin Mall an; se
niors kaanapu and Boatright
are the only senior starters on
this year's line, and last spring
the coaches called upon them
to take leadership roles.
kaanapu. in his fifth year as
a Duck, takes the responsibility
seriously.
"I have tried to lead by ex
ample." he said. "A lot of peo
pie talk h lot about what they
an1 going to do on the field, hut
unless they do it it means noth
ing. I try to go out and domi
nate in a quiet manner."
Steve Greatwood, Oregon's
tackles tight ends coach, said
kaanapu's leadership will Im
felt in the years to come.
"Mis leadership has been in
valuable, ” he said "Last
spring I wanted him to assert
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himself more with the younger
players, and he has set good ex
amples."
At left tackle, kaanapu is as
signed to protect quarterback
Hill Musgrave's blind side.
Many times the defense pits its
Itest lineman against Raanapu
in an attempt to get at Mus
grave from behind.
"lie is an excellent pass
blocker on the left side."
(.rentwood said. "It s nice not
to have? to worry about that side
of the line. He has performed
day in and day out, even with
all of the little injuries players
have to deal with this time of
year.
"Hut there is always room for
improvement." he said. "He
realizes what we need to do
and remains focused."
kaanapu agreed that there is
room for improvement.
"We have confidence in all
aspects of our game." he said
"We have the potential, but we
have yet to play a full fit) min
utes. I want to be as dominant
in fourth quarter as we are in
the first."
Consistency is the greatest
measure of a lineman, and
kaanapu has performed consis
tently well this season
The Oregon coaches use a
system to rate a lineman's per
formance for every game, with
a .750 percentage being an av
erage outing, kaanapu has
graded over .000 four times this
season, including the last two
games, and only has one game
under the .750 mark.
For all of his intensity,
kaanapu is seen as somewhat
of a joker by his teammates and
coaches.
"I like to joke around a lot
but I know when to be seri
ous." kaanapu said. "I like to
have a good time, smile, and
laugh."
kaanapu will bid farewell to
Autzen Stadium when the
Ducks play their last home
game of the season against
UCLA Saturday. He said In
will miss the intense atmos
phere he has seen develop
there over the last few years.
"The first game 1 ever saw
there was against Colorado,
and we beat them in the last
three seconds (32-30 in 1!J8(>|,"
he said. "And since then I’ve
seen the team grow into one of
the dominant teams in the I’ac
10. Autzen has really changed
our view of how we play."
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