Sports Person of 2003:
Samie Parker
by Jerry Thompson
Samie's School Records:
1. Receptions in a game: 16
(old record 11 by 7 players)
2. Receptions in a season: 77
(old record: 67 by Bob Newland
Brian Schapper, BODOGSPORTS.COM
in 1970)
3. Career receptions: 178
(old record: 173 by Keenan Howry
1999-2002)
Brian Schapper, BODOGSPORTS.COM
Throughout the University of
Oregon’s sports history there have been
an elite group of outstanding two-sport
athletes. Arguably the best ever were
George Shaw and Mel Renfro who both
achieved the rare honor of being All-
Americans in two sports: Shaw in foot-
ball and baseball and Renfro in football
and track. Now record setting wide
receiver and All-American track sprinter,
Samie Parker from Long Beach,
California joins them as well as such
stars as Dick Wilkins,Woodley Lewis,
Phil McHugh, Jerry Tarr, Russ Francis,
Don Coleman, J.J. Birden, and Latin
Berry, to name a few, as Oregon’s
greatest two-sport athletes.
Parker was the obvious choice for
the Oregon Duck sports person of 2003
as he worked hard to improve tremen-
dously in both football and track and he
also overcame injuries and a difficult
personal tragedy in 2003. In the spring
Parker became the second fastest 100
meter sprinter in Oregon history by run-
ning a torrid 10.18 in Los Angeles at the
Pac-10 Championships. In football he
started the year with well, but then had
to persevere through nagging injuries
and the loss of his stepdad who was
murdered early in the fall. Samie fin-
ished with a flourish by winning the
MVP award in the Sun Bowl game on
December 31st and in so doing broke 4
school receiving records:
Samie set a Sun Bowl record with 16 catches.
4. Career receiving yards: 2,761
(old record: 2744 by Tony Hartley
(1996-99)
Our runner-up for best Duck
Samie was honored as the Sun Bowl’s most valuable offensive player.
sports person was senior softball star
Andrea Vidlund. Andrea, from Citrus
Heights, California was one of the
main contributors to an incredible
season that saw the Ducks under new
coach Kathy Arendsen go from the
conference doormats to finish 3rd in
the Pac-10, win 5 games in the NCAA
playoffs, and come within one hit from
earning a trip to the College World
Series. Vidlund set school records for
home runs in a season (16) and a career
(37) and also was an outstanding pitcher
winning 6 games and saving 11.
Congratulations to Samie and
Andrea for some truly outstanding
performances in 2003.
Andrea Vidlund was our runner-up for the Sports Person of 2003.
DucksIllustrated
JANUARY 15, 2004 11