The Oregon Ducks start the 2024 season Aug. 31 at home against Idaho. The Oregonian/OregonLive will count down the days with mini-profiles of prominent former and current Ducks whose jersey numbers correspond with the days remaining until the opening kickoff.
Today, No. 14: Quarterback Bill Musgrave, defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, and quarterback/defensive back George Shaw.
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Bill Musgrave
Bio: Oregon recruited Musgrave out of Grand Junction High School (Colorado) where he also played safety, and in 1985 was named Colorado High School Athlete of the Year in 1985.
Key statistics: When Musgrave accepted the football scholarship from Oregon, the program had only four winning seasons in the previous 22 years and had not been to a bowl game since 1963. But Musgrave led the Ducks into a new era, which included back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in school history. Musgrave became a starter his freshman year (1987), leading Oregon to a No. 16 national ranking. He threw for 1,836 yards and 13 touchdowns.
As a sophomore, a broken collarbone limited Musgrave to six games. But he went 6-1 as a starter while passing for 815 yards and eight touchdowns.
His junior year saw him throw for 3,081 yards (ninth all-time) and 22 touchdowns. The Ducks went 8-4 to reach the Independence Bowl, winning 27-14 over Tulsa. It was Oregon’s first bowl game appearance in 26 years.
In his final year with the Ducks, Musgrave passed for 2,219 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Pac-10 and led UO to the Freedom Bowl, where they lost 32-31 to Colorado State.
While with Oregon, he set 15 passing records and became the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and total offense (eventually broken by Marcus Mariota in 2014).
Musgrave, who ranks fourth with 38 career starts, finished his career with 8,343 passing yards (third all-time) and 60 touchdown passes (seventh).
His 489 passing yards against BYU in 1989 is tied for the program record with Justin Herbert.
Musgrave was inducted into the Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
NFL: The Dallas Cowboys selected Musgrave in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers, where he won a Super Bowl title, and with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. In 1997, he became an NFL coach and has held various positions.
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Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
Bio: Oregon recruited Ekpre-Olomu out of Chino High School (California), where he also played running back. At UO, he became one of the best cornerbacks in program history.
Key statistics: As a true freshman, Ekpre-Olomu appeared in 14 games and made 34 tackles. Oregon won the Pac-12 title and the Rose Bowl.
The following season, he put up 63 tackles with four interceptions to be named first-team All-Pac-12 for the first of what would be three consecutive times. The Ducks went 12-1 and won the Fiesta Bowl.
In 2013, Ekpre-Olomuhad had 84 tackles and three interceptions. As a senior in 2014, he closed out his career with 63 tackles and two interceptions, helping the Ducks win the Pac-12 championship.
Ekpre-Olomu unfortunately injured his knee during practice while preparing for the Rose Bowl/playoff game against Florida State.
Ekpre-Olomu finished his career with 39 pass breakups (fifth all-time at UO).
NFL: Cleveland selected Ekpre-Olomu, who had been projected to be a first-round pick before injuring his knee, in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft. He spent one season with the Browns before signing with the Miami Dolphins the following year. He ultimately never appeared in an NFL game.
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George Shaw
Bio: Oregon landed Shaw out of Grant High School, where he won two state football titles (1949 and 1950). He became the Ducks’ first two-sport athlete, playing outfield in baseball, which he claimed as his favorite sport. Shaw died in 1998 at the age of 68.
Key statistics: Shaw ended his collegiate career with 3,500 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns as a quarterback. He also dominated as a defensive back.
Shaw holds the program’s single-season record for interceptions (13, 1951) and career interceptions (18).
Shaw was named first-team All-PCC in 1951, 1953 and 1954. He received third-team All-American honors in 1953 and second-team in 1954.
Shaw was inducted into the Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992 and is a member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
NFL: The Baltimore Colts selected Shaw with the No. 1 overall pick during the 1955 NFL draft. However, a leg injury in 1956 led to him losing his starting job to future hall of fame quarterback Johnny Unitas. Shaw also played with the New York Giants, Minnesota, and Denver of the AFL.
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PRIOR COUNTDOWN POSTS
No. 15: Defensive back Patrick Chung, wide receiver Keenan Howry, and quarterback Bob Berry.
No. 16: Quarterback Danny O’Neil
No. 17: Defensive back Rashad Bauman and quarterback Jack Crabtree
No. 18: Tight end Spencer Webb and linebacker Wesly Mallard
No. 19: The 1919 and 2019 Oregon Ducks Rose Bowl teams
Defensive back Kenny Wheaton and defensive back/running back Mel Renfro
No. 21: Running backs LaMike James and Royce Freeman
No. 22: Linebacker Derrick Malone Jr. and running back Reuben Droughns
No. 23: Running back/wide receiver Ahmad Rashad and wide receiver Jeff Maehl
No. 24: Running backs Kenjon Barner and Jeremiah Johnson
No. 25: Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin
No. 26: Running back Travis Dye
No. 27: Defensive back Terrance Mitchell
No. 28: Running back Jonathan Stewart and safety J.D. Nelson
No. 29: Defensive back Mario Clark and running back Kani Benoit
No. 30: Jim Shanley, Woodley Lewis and Dave Grayson
No. 31: Defensive backs Avery Patterson and Justin Phinisee
No. 32: Safety Jairus Byrd
No. 33: 1933 Webfoots and linebacker Tyson Coleman
No. 34: Defensive back Jim Smith and defensive tackle Jordon Scott
No. 35: Linebackers Troy Dye, Joe Walker and Spencer Paysinger
No. 37: Defensive back Talmadge Jackson III.
No. 38: Safety Eddie Pleasant
No. 39: Linebacker Kevin Mitchell
No. 40: Linebacker Ernest Jones and punter Josh Bidwell.
No. 41: Kicker Aidan Schneider.
No. 42: Tight end David Paulson and fullback Latin Berry.
No. 43: Center Brad Ecklund and lineman Ed Moshofsky.
No. 44: Defensive lineman DeForest Bucker, tight end Dante Rosario, and defensive back Jake Leicht.
No. 45: Defensive lineman Matt Toeaina.
No. 46: Linebacker Michael Clay
No. 47: Linebacker Kiko Alonso
No. 48: DL Saul Patu and LB Rodney Hardrick
No. 49: Defensive end Nick Reed
No. 50: Defensive tackle Popo Aumavae
No. 51: Offensive lineman Jeff Kendall
No. 52: Linebacker Tom Graham
No. 53: Defensive lineman Igor Olshansky
No. 54: Three champion linemen
No. 55: Centers Hroniss Grasu and Jake Hanson, plus linebacker Casey Matthews
No. 56: Offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman
No. 57: OL George Dames and 1957 Rose Bowl team
No. 58: Defensive end Kenny Rowe and center Jackson Powers-Johnson
No. 59: Offensive lineman Ian Reynoso
No. 60: Center Max Unger
No. 61: Lineman Steve Barnett
No. 62: Offensive lineman Matt Pierson
No. 63: Defensive lineman Vince Goldsmith
No. 64: Lineman Dave Wilcox
No. 65: Offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius
No. 66: Defensive lineman Taylor Hart
No. 67: Offensive lineman Jack Patera
No. 68: Offensive lineman Shane Lemieux
No. 69: Offensive lineman Bo Thran
No. 70: Fullback Bob Sanders
No. 71: Offensive linemen Mark Lewis and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
No. 72: Offensive lineman Adam Snyder
No. 73: Offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby
No. 74: Offensive linemen Kyle Long and Tom Drougas
No. 75: Offensive tackle Jake Fisher
No. 76: Offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr
No. 77: Offensive lineman Carson York
No. 78: Offensive linemen Alex Forsyth and Cameron Hunt
No. 79: Mark Asper, offensive line
No. 80: Wide receivers Lavasier Tuinei, Greg Moser and Ray Palm
No. 81: Wide receiver Bob Newland
No. 82: Wide receiver Lew Barnes and tight end Blake Spence
No. 83: Tight end Ed Dickson and wide receiver Patrick Johnson
No. 84: Tight end Justin Peelle, linebacker Anthony Trucks, and Cam McCormick
No. 85: Pharaoh Brown, Tim Day and Matt Evensen.
No. 86: Wide receiver Paul Burleson.
No. 87: Wide receiver Greg Specht
No. 88: Wide receiver Dwayne Stanford and defensive lineman Brandon Bair
No. 89: This team ended a 25-year drought
No. 90: Tight end Josh Wilcox and defensive lineman Drayton Carlberg
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