Eugene weekly., October 02, 2003, Page 36, Image 36

Oregon’s All-Time Walk Ons
by Jerry Thompson
George Dames:
A Walk-On
Legend
The story of George Dames’
transformation from being a third
string split end at the beginning of
his senior year in high school, to
becoming a three-year starter and
second team All-American nose guard
reminds one of the old Charles Atlas
stories, “Rocky”, and “Rudy” wrapped
up in one. After graduating from
Medford High School in 1964
George said “there was absolutely
no interest in him by anybody. I was
a nothing.” His older brother Bill was
on the U of O swim team, a member
of a fraternity and a leader in student
government. George liked what he
saw of the University, enrolled, and
decided to try out for the frosh football
team. “The frosh coach, Eddie Johns,
gave me no hope and in that way
made me become a tougher guy,
Dames related. Frosh assistant
Ron Stratten did offer him some
encouragement and Dames said that
Larry Horyna was a phenomenal teacher
of the fundamentals of blocking and
tackling. Dames’ goal was to play
linebacker so he lifted weights, ate
a lot and got up to 190 pounds.
He did well in practice, but didn’t
even make the frosh travel list for
away games! He only got in on
a few plays in the last game. Things
looked bleak for any type of football
future and to make matters worse,
Dames was put on academic probation
after his first term. He brought his
grades up during winter term and
then an event happened that changed
his life and football future.
“Somebody invited me to
a Christian camp and it was there
that I committed my life to Christ
and it was also there where I said:
‘If I make it I make it and if I don’t,
I don’t’; and if I do make it I want
to give the glory to the Lord.” He
was invited back to fall camp with
15 others but only as a redshirt,
which then was basically a sign of
humiliation. All the other redshirts
were dejected about having to be
“scout” players. George took the
opposite approach and in his words
“went wild.” He worked so hard
playing defensive line he created
mayhem for the first team offense.
His level of effort was so way beyond
the call of duty that even the varsity
coaches complimented him on his
effort. This writer was a first hand
witness of how Dames practiced, and
I can say that in over thirty years of
As a middle guard, Dames earned All-Conference and second team All-American in 1968, and
has been inducted into Oregon’s Sports Hall of Fame.
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DucksIllustrated
watching Oregon practices, I’ve never
seen anyone come even close in terms
of all out 100% hustle as Dames. He
made me tired just watching him. In
one practice two of his gold crowns
were knocked out and he handed them
to coach Johns.
Dames’ big break was when
assistant coach Phil McHugh visited
Paul Bear Bryant’s Alabama team
and the Ducks switched their
defensive line philosophy to a smaller,
quick unit. Dames still wanted to
be a linebacker but McHugh switched
him to nose guard. At 6-1, 195,
Dames had to play against varsity
center Bill Smith, who was 6-2, 240,
and later had a good pro career.
Dames says that he was the best
center he ever played against in his
collegiate career, which included an
Ohio State All-American.
Dames received his “baptism
by fire” in 1966 against national
power Oklahoma in Norman when
Oregon’s starting nose guard was
pulled. It was Dames’ first real
game action since playing Roseburg
in high school! Having been taught
so well by McHugh and playing
against Smith, Dames felt like “a kid
at Disneyland” against Oklahoma’s
center. Dames was constantly in the
Sooner backfield and made about
20 tackles. From that point and for
the next three years, Dames was
Oregon’s nose guard. He was so
good he was selected as a First-Team
Preseason All-American in 1968,
and was a unanimous choice as
All-Coast middle guard. Head coach
Jerry Frei said, “His ability to get to
the football-somehow-is amazing.”
The California Bear team was so
impressed they gave him more votes
on their all-opponent team than UCLA’s
Heisman winner, Gary Beban.
Dames is a vice-president with
Merrill Lynch in Bend and he and is wife
Leslie are blessed with three children,
Bumper who has a Master’s in Language
Studies, Amy who is a teacher, and
Phil who is at Pt. Loma Nazarene on
a tennis scholarship. Three years ago,
George was inducted into the University
of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame,
a fitting tribute to one who went
so far beyond anyone’s expectations.