Sean Dollars

Sean Dollars's Biography

The University of Oregon’s football team, famously known as the Oregon Ducks, represented the university in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was under the stewardship of Dan Lanning, who was serving his first year as the head coach.

The command center of the Ducks’ home games was the Autzen Stadium, situated in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks flew their colors in the Pac-12 Conference, a stage filled with formidable competitors. They had their eyes on the Pac 12 Championship, which they could secure with a triumphant showdown against Oregon State on the 26th of November or if Utah met defeat at the hands of Colorado. This, however, hinged on UCLA’s victory against California.

Their hopes were dashed when they lost their crucial game. That loss meant they had to depend on Washington losing against Washington State to prevent a three-way tie with Washington, who had previously bested Oregon, and Utah. The tiebreaker rules favored Utah in the scenario of teams having defeated each other. This situation unfolded when Washington emerged victorious, thereby paving the way for Utah to move onto the Pac 12 championship.

At the end of the 2021 regular season, Mario Cristobal, the then-head coach, departed Oregon for the University of Miami, marking a significant change in the team’s leadership. The rest of Oregon’s coaching staff followed suit after the Alamo Bowl, leaving no members of the 2021 staff on board for the 2022 season.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic induced the NCAA to extend an extra year of eligibility to all college athletes, including the players from Oregon. This created an option for the athletes to return for another year at the University of Oregon. But, that year saw numerous Ducks declaring for the 2022 NFL draft. Among them, Kayvon Thibodeaux was the solitary player from the Ducks to be drafted. Consequently, post-draft, several Ducks players achieved free-agent deals with NFL teams.

In July 2022, the Pac-12 Media Day took place in Hollywood, California. A significant change was made that year in the structure of the conference championship game. Unlike in previous years when media voted on division standings and conference championship game results, the divisions in 2022 were solely for scheduling purposes. Consequently, the championship game would comprise the two teams with the best conference records, irrespective of their divisions. This shift was reflected in the media vote.

Throughout the season, the team’s composition was dynamic, featuring a range of positions such as running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers, defensive backs, kickers, punters, and long snappers. Their matches took them to various arenas from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Arizona Stadium in Tucson, and several others.

The players demonstrated their skills and prowess in various ways, making solo tackles, assisted tackles, total tackles, and more, with some even scoring touchdowns. They displayed remarkable fortitude against both non-conference and Pac-12 opponents, proving their worth in each encounter.

Subsequently, the NFL draft, which took place at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri from April 27 to 29, 2023, did not feature any members of the 2022 team. Despite this, none of the 2022 team members were invited to participate in drills at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

Thus, the journey of the 2022 Oregon Ducks was filled with critical moments, challenging matches, and significant changes in the team’s composition and leadership. Their perseverance, commitment, and collective determination, both on and off the field, have left an indelible mark on the University of Oregon’s football history.