Tim Day's ability could
make life easier for the
Oregon offense
BY JON ROETMAN
SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER
The solution to Oregon’s lack of
big plays in the passing game is
clear as day — Tim Day, that is.
Oregon’s massive tight end is
still playing his way back into shape
after missing four weeks prior to fall
camp with a stress fracture in
his right foot. Once the junior re
turns to top form, however, his pres
ence in the middle of the field will
no longer allow defenses to focus
on stopping the Ducks’ talented
group of wide receivers.
“Tim Day determines how many
balls Tim Day gets,” head coach
Mike Bellotti said. “He’s not totally
in shape yet. I would anticipate,
each week as he gets more into
playing shape, that he will become
more of a factor in what we do.”
Day got open when he was need
ed most against Idaho last Saturday,
hauling in three catches for 27
yards and two touchdowns. Oregon
receivers hope Day’s performance
against the Vandals is a sign of
things to come, seeing as how
the tight end’s pair of scores dou
bled the amount of touchdowns
produced by Duck wideouts
this season.
“He opens everything up,” wide
receiver Marcus Maxwell said.
“If we can get Tim Day the ball,
we’ll be very "successful. I believe
we’ve got to get him the ball seven
to 10 times a game. If we get him
the ball, guys will be focusing on
him and it will open it up for us on
the outside.”
A lot of responsibility has been
placed on the Las Vegas native, who
made the transition from guard to
tight end before his senior year at
Western High School. One look at
Day’s physical stature, however, re
veals why the Oregon coaching staff
expects so much from its pass
catching phenom.
Day’s 6-foot-4, 268-pound frame
gives quarterbacks a can’t-miss
target. His enormous hands are ca
pable of snagging even the most
errant of passes and his tree-trunk
legs make sure he punishes any
defender that gets in his way. His
540-pound squat is good for
third on the team.
And then, of course, there are the
tight end’s hulking arms, which ap
pear larger than an average man’s
thighs. Each massive branch fea
tures a tattoo of one of his initials.
The “T” on his right was done first,
when he arrived at Oregon as a
freshman in 2001. He added the “D”
on his left arm at the end of his
freshman year.
While his mother, Levon Day,
wasn’t a big supporter of the body
art, Day’s ink is symbolic of what he
can create on the field.
Touchdowns.
“Mom wasn’t too happy about
Lauren Wimer | Senior photographer
Oregon’s vertical passing game will excel if tight end Tim Day can get on track. The junior
caught two touchdown passes last Saturday against Idaho.
them,” Day said with a smile. “I’d
been wanting to get one for awhile
but she said once I move out of the
house and I’m paying my own bills,
I can get my tattoos.
“At first they were just for my ini
tials, but they took on a double
meaning. My coaches and team
mates call me TD.”
While scoring touchdowns gets
notoriety, it’s an under-appreciated
skill for which Day is most proud of:
The tight end’s size and strength
has helped turn him into one of the
team’s best run blockers.
“Any tight end can catch the
ball,” Day said. “But I take pride in
blocking.”
Day’s skills at the tight end
position have evolved rather quick
ly. He went from being an athlete
with tremendous potential during
his redshirt year in 2001 to an
honorable mention All-Pac-10 Con
ference tight end by his sophomore
season in 2003. If he continues
at this pace, the name Tim
Day will certainly be added to
the long list of Oregon tight
ends — including Justin Peelle and
George Wrighster — who have
played at the next level.
Day gave Oregon fans a glimpse
of just how good he could be during
a nationally televised showdown
with California last season. He
turned a short pass into a 31-yard
touchdown to help the Ducks over
come a 10-point deficit in the
game’s final six minutes.
This season, Day has caught sev
en passes for 81 yards and two
touchdowns in three games. With
Oregon entering Pac-10 play against
Arizona State on Saturday, the
Ducks might need Day to reach
those numbers every game.
One thing’s for sure: Day’s physi
cal talents make him capable of
anything.
“He’s kind of freakish because
there aren’t too many guys who
can go out there and run or be as
athletic as Tim,” defensive back
Jackie Bates said. “He’s pretty rare I
would say.”
jomoetman@dailyemerald.com
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