Skipper Joins Football Team

[rainbowgirl28]

http://oregon.scout.com/2/442716.html

Oregon's Skipper to to join Ducks' football team


By Steve Summers eDuck Sports
Date: Sep 23, 2005

EUGENE – University of Oregon two-time track and field collegiate national champion Tommy Skipper has joined the Ducks’ football team as a punter, according to head football coach Mike Bellotti.

Skipper, who captured NCAA pole vault titles in 2004 (outdoors) and 2005 (indoors), hasn’t played football since he graduated from high school at Sandy High School in 2003. The Ducks’ pole vault school record-holder (18-10 1/4) also established the Pacific-10 Conference record as a freshman in 2004.

He also claimed Pac-10 pole vault and decathlon titles his freshman season.

He missed the majority of last spring’s outdoor season with a knee injury and was unable to clear a height at either the conference or NCAA championships.

Although it is Skipper’s first attempt at football at the collegiate level, his all-around athletic ability drew notice by the San Diego Padres as they drafted him in the 37th round of the 2003 amatuer baseball draft.

[Caseman33]

i think im going to enter myself in the baseball draft next year. 37th round, thats hilarious.

[FreightTrain]

I remember when Skipper got drafted. It was kind of a "flyer" by the Padres, but they specifically mentioned his word-class athletic ability as a primary reason for drafting him. I'm sure that his javelin skills, size, speed and the whole rest of his athletic abilities were duly noted. Remember, it wouldn't be the first time an athelete from another sport has been drafted by baseball. Remember Bo Jackson, sprinter/football player? Jim Thorpe? Michael Jordan tried the sport. There have been others.

[rainbowgirl28]

LOL the whole article is hilarious.

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/ ... cityregion

Especially since, two days before kickoff, the Ducks were trying out a pole vaulter as their punter. Goodness, if we're going to take a page out of the movie lot playbook - remember "Gus," Disney's field-goal kicking mule? - let's fill Tommy Skipper with flubber gas and have Kellen Clemens send him long.



Hollywood endings. OK, we promised only off-the-field comparisons, but Disney U. is in town - time to wish upon a (place-kicking) star:

With seconds remaining, Tommy Skipper fakes a punt and vaults over a defender for a first down. But he's injured - that's UO track coach Vin Lananna gasping - when, after going out of bounds to stop the clock, he's kicked by Traveler, who is making a surprise Autzen appearance.

One second left. A 55-yard field goal will win it for Oregon. Coach Mike Bellotti looks at his kicker, Paul Martinez.

"Paul," Bellotti says, harking back to a movie co-starring Ronald Reagan (who, as California governor in 1967, flew to Oregon only to see No. 1 USC be stunned by 3 points against Oregon State), "when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys" - he glances at his ailing punter - "tell them to go in there with all they've got and win one for the Skipper."

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.kgw.com/sports/stories/kgw_0 ... e42af.html

Skipper joins UO punter competition

01:25 PM PDT on Friday, September 23, 2005

Associated Press

EUGENE -- Oregon's quest to improve its punting performance has taken an intriguing twist.

AP

UO decathlete Tommy Skipper.

Tommy Skipper, a pole vaulter and decathlete for the track and field team, walked into Autzen Stadium in uniform Thursday and took part in the football practice.

Skipper says it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Skipper hasn't punted in a game since he was at Sandy High School, but he did previously flirt with punting for the Ducks.

He worked out on the sidelines for a couple of days during spring drills in April 2004 and did some punting this summer.

Oregon is ninth in the Pac-10 in punting.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://oregon.scout.com/2/445913.html

Oregon's Skippper to concentrate on track


By Media Release UO Athletic Department
Date: Sep 30, 2005

EUGENE – University of Oregon pole vault standout Tommy Skipper has decided curtail his experiment with the Ducks’ football team in order to devote his full attention to track and field, according to head football coach Mike Bellotti.

Skipper, who had last played football at Sandy (OR) High School in 2002, had been working out with the school’s football team since Thursday, Sept. 22, and was looked upon as a punter, cornerback or wide receiver. Bellotti said that Skipper had offered his services if he could be of immediate help but admitted that he might be better off concentrating on only one sport.

Skipper, who captured NCAA pole vault titles in 2004 (outdoors) and 2005 (indoors), missed the majority of the 2005 outdoor track season while recovering from a knee injury. The Ducks’ pole vault school record-holder (18-10 1/4) also established the Pacific-10 Conference record as a freshman in 2004.

He also claimed Pac-10 pole vault and decathlon titles his freshman season.

[Mecham]

wow, if i were Tommy, that last post would make me feel really good. yup.......really really good.

[Sebes]

It makes perfect sense. Somebody with no experience playing baseball and drafted in the 37th round of an amateur league will have a way better chance of making money. This sport is all but bankrupt. Good thing most of us don't do it for the money.

[Bonevt]

Ok.... so lets all just sell out if we can????

[Sebes]

No, I'm not saying that we should all sell out. In an ideal world we would be able to pole vault for a living. But, in reality we can't do that because of all the financial responsibilties that come before us. I'm just expressing my frustration with the amount of money available in this sport. An above average baseball player in the NCAA has a good chance of being drafted and playing baseball for a living. An above average Vaulter in the NCAA no chance to make a living in track and field.

[Lax PV]

So I looked on the Duck's web page the other day to see how he was doing, and I couldn't find anything about him, not on the roster or anything (at least from what I saw...)

...Does anyone know if he is still doing it, or what the deal is?

[rainbowgirl28]

So I looked on the Duck's web page the other day to see how he was doing, and I couldn't find anything about him, not on the roster or anything (at least from what I saw...)

...Does anyone know if he is still doing it, or what the deal is?

Football? Read the whole thread.