The Mighty Oregon Podcast

When I grow up, I wanna be a professional baseball player. That statement has been uttered by countless little leaguers hoping to one day make it to the show. For Jacob Walsh, that dream was just a phone call away. A top five first baseman coming out of high school, Walsh decided to bet on himself, turning down the big time lights of the Majors for the pop of PK Park. Now a junior and the Ducks all-time home run king, Walsh is looking to help Oregon make another deep post season run.

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is Oregon baseball’s Jacob Walsh...Ducks Dig the Long Ball.

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Ariel Carlson is a Duck through and through. Raised in Eugene, the choice was never in question where she wanted to play softball, even as an 8th grader. The ups and downs of her college career on the diamond have led her to become a leader for the Ducks, whether that be with her bat...in the locker room…or even when adversity strikes.

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is the Oregon softball’s Ariel Carlson…Follow the Mess.

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Colleen Uzoekwe has always been ahead of the pace when it comes to her life. In middle school, she started attending community college classes where she was enrolled at the same time as her sister and mother. By the time she was in high school, she had already completed her junior college degree. Uzoekwe not only excelled in the classroom, but on the track as well. She was the Gatorade State girl’s track and field player of the year in 2020 before making her way to Eugene. Continuing to push herself, Uzoekwe was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, the worlds preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford. Never the one to limit herself, Uzoekwe is awaiting her next adventure while waiting to get in to med school. A balancing act she sure is accustomed to.

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is the Ducks track and field star Colleen Uzoekwe…Time Managed.

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LeGarrette Blount always had dreams of playing on the big stage. Scoring TDs. Championships. Parades. Repeat. Taking the junior college route, Blount transferred to Oregon out of East Mississippi Community College and immediately made an impact on the program, setting the school’s single season rushing TD record in his first year at Eugene. Blount’s senior season was tumultuous to say the least, but that didn’t stop the big man from making it to the NFL and embarking on a nine-year career as a pro, where he would hoist the Lombardi Trophy three times before retiring in 2020. Now a businessman and entrepreneur, Blount is taking those hard lessons learned on the field and applying them to his next phase of life off the gridiron.

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is the former Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount…Champion Duck.

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Farm land and the basketball court aren’t two things that commonly go together. Unless maybe you’re Ricky Roe from the 90's classic Blue Chips. Didn’t think you’d hear an obscure basketball movie references today did you? But for Maarty Leunen, the draw of small town living and farm land wasn’t enough to keep him off the court. His talents on the hardwood took him to Eugene, where he helped lead a plucky group of Ducks to the Elite Eight. Leunen spent over a decade as a professional basketball player overseas, experiencing everything the world had to offer. But now back home in Redmond, Oregon, Leunen is coaching high school basketball for the first time and passing along lessons he learned in his small farm town.

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is the former Ducks power forward Maarty Leunen…Comfort Outside the Zone.

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Scott McGough has always had plenty of people in his corner. His father, a former professional baseball player, helped guide him during his high school career. After getting drafted at 18-years-old, he decided to take his talents on the diamond to Eugene, where he formed a special bond with assistant Coach Andrew Checketts. He was urged to enter the MLB draft rather than come back to Oregon for his senior year by the coaching staff, knowing what was best for him. And after years of trades, an injury and battling in the minor leagues, McGough has earned his place on the Diamondbacks roster…a place he can finally call home. 

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast, and this is former Oregon pitcher & current big leaguer Scott McGough…Safe at Home.

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Just a small town girl, livin’ in a…well, you know the rest. Jessica Moore comes from a town of less than 3,000 people where everybody knew each other and you could leave your doors unlocked at night. Excelling on the diamond in high school, Moore made her way to Eugene where she would again, excel on the diamond. Moore now enters Oregon’s Hall of Fame in her first year on the ballot. A testament to her skill as well as her impact on the softball program. 

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is Oregon softball Hall of Famer Jessica Moore – Just a Small Town Girl.

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Jessica Drummond has always felt drawn to the game of lacrosse. She picked it up with her twin sister Jana on the East Coast, in New Hampshire, before eventually making her way West to Oregon. Once in Eugene, Drummond helped usher in a successful era for the young Ducks program. Drummond knew coaching was in her future, with a return to Eugene set as the dream job. That opportunity has presented itself this year and Drummond knew, just like when she picked up the game, it was the perfect fit. 

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is the Ducks new women’s lacrosse head coach Jess Drummond...It Just Feels Right.

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When you’re weathering the storm, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. For Tez Johnson, growing up in a rough part of Birmingham, Alabama was his storm. And the light at the end of that tunnel ended up being a family with roots in Auburn but ended up in Eugene. Johnson was taken in by Bo Nix’s family in high school, where the two became brothers. Nix went to Auburn before transferring to Oregon while Johnson headed to Troy before making his way West this past season. After a record setting season in the yellow and green, Johnson has found firm footing with the storm now behind him. 

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is Ducks receiver Tez Johnson…Walk by Faith.

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It’s been said that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. For proof of this statement, look no further than JJ Birden. A speedster out of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Birden ran track and field for the Ducks but wanted an opportunity to get on the football field. So he walked on…literally. How does someone with a single touchdown in his college career get drafted into the NFL? An opportunity. Birden would make that opportunity last eight years in the league, playing with some of the all-time greats. And it all comes back to seizing the moment…whether presented to you or not.

This is the Mighty Oregon podcast and this is former Ducks wide receiver and hurdler, JJ Birden – Looking for a Chance.

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