I wrote

media day on walk-on wide receiver Dane Ebanez. In successive seasons he won Scout Team Player of the Year for offense, defense and special teams. The junior also went $70,000 in debt with student loans trying to chase his football dream.

I watched with great interest in the final seconds of the Fiesta Bowl, hoping and wondering if Ebanez would get into the game. I saw him run on for the final kickoff --- his first bowl-game appearance in four years at Oregon --- and run down the field.

On Monday, Ebanez joined me on the Bald Faced Truth radio show (12-3p weekdays on 750-AM) and told me the back story. Apparently, his teammate, Keanon Lowe plotted to get Ebanez into the game. Lowe faked an injury as they broke the special teams huddle, prompting assistants to wave for Ebanez, his back-up on the kickoff team, to hurry onto the field.

Ebanez came within a whisker of making the tackle on the kickoff. Ebanez was also on the field for Oregon's final play of the game, in victory formation.

"It was definitely my highlight," he said.

I'll post and

the podcast of my radio interview with Ebanez, who is giving up his final season of eligibility so he can graduate and go to work in Alaska.