One week after Oregon stomped on Southern Utah in a 77-21 blowout at Autzen Stadium, the Ducks will wear uniforms in an effort to help “stomp out cancer.”
Wearing uniforms designed by three childhood cancer survivors, the Ducks have teamed up with OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital to create uniforms for the game against Nebraska. The children, Ethan Frank, Sophia Malinoski and Joe Macdonald, were accompanied by Duck football players Khalil Oliver, Tyrell Crosby and Justin Hollins, who worked with the children to come up with every aspect of the uniform, from helmet and jersey down to the cleats and gloves.
“That’s really powerful,” defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt said. “Anything that can touch on cancer and how devastating it is and how much we’ve got to work to stop it, that, I like.”
The children were each paired up with a player. Frank was with Oliver, Malinoski was paired with Crosby and Macdonald was paired with Hollins.
“It means a lot,” Hollins said. “Just have somebody who looks up to me, who battled, and went through stuff like that. Be able to come back and help them and be a part of something big with them is very humbling — it’s a blessing.”
Oregon’s uniforms for Saturday’s game have a personal meaning for associate head coach and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a.
“I lost both parents and also my father in law to cancer,” Salave’a said. “I was really excited when I saw the commitment and the rally by the community around the folks that actually brought forth the ideas and promoting that but also the families that were impacted. I’m all for anything to promote awareness — that’s something that hits home.”
Salave’a lost his father and his father-in-law last year. He said it was a difficult time, but having the deaths occur in the beginning half of football season, he had a way to take his mind off of his losses.
“It’s still fresh,” Salave’a said. “You’re still mourning but thank goodness for football and a busy schedule that you don’t really sit there and be lonely. I’m happy for the guys, it’s a great cause, it puts meaning, even more for the game, that we’re doing those things.”
The uniforms, which are white with silver and yellow detail, were created one piece at a time. Macdonald designed the cleats, tights and socks; Malinoski designed the helmet and the graphic of Donald Duck stomping on the word cancer; and Frank designed the jersey, pants and the slogans “overcome” and “win the day, win the fight.”
“We’re extremely privileged to wear such an inspiring uniform for our game against Nebraska,” head coach Willie Taggart said. ”We’ll do everything in our power to play with the same tenacity exemplified by Sophia, Ethan and Joe. Wearing this uniform is a great chance to honor them and their spirit and efforts.”
Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow
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