I was born a Duck.

My brothers and I were introduced to Oregon football through our grandfather Rich Schwab. He instilled in us a passion for the game that only grew stronger during our time growing up in Eugene.

Watching the Ducks play every home game from Section 12, barely a mile away from our home, are cherished childhood memories. My brothers and I would replay those games in our front yard, pretending to be Joey Harrington, Kellen Clemens and other Oregon greats. Receiving a scholarship to play at the University of Oregon was the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

Both a Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl victory have provided us seniors with a fairytale ending to our careers at Oregon. Losses, injuries and coaching changes were challenges that many of us weren’t expecting when we first arrived on campus. I believe that these tough times brought our team together and changed the culture within our program.

As I move on from an incredible experience at the University of Oregon, I wanted to thank all the Duck fans and the Eugene community for your support of a hometown kid.

I’d also like to thank coaches Cristobal, Arroyo, Costa, Helfrich, Yost, Langsdorf, Feld and Taggart for the many lessons taught both on and off the field.

Thank you to all my teammates over the past four years. It has been an honor to play alongside all of you and I cannot wait for the continued success of the program. Thank you to Phil and Penny Knight, Pat Kilkenny and Ed Maletis for all of your support and dedication to the University of Oregon.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my family. Your love and support have made me the man I am today, and I am so thankful to have had my family with me all the way. The highlight of my career was getting to share each Saturday with you.

Eugene has always been, and will forever remain, my home. Go Ducks!!