There isn’t anything as touching in sports as watching the perennial “nice guy” succeed, especially when that person has put in countless hours without complaining or having his fair share of stats thrown at him.
That nice guy was Tim Day, a senior tight end on the Oregon football team last season, who caught a one-yard touchdown to open the scoring of Saturday’s East-West Shrine game in San Antonio.
Not only did Day catch the ball between two defenders, he also beat pass interference with a defender holding on to his arm. After the touchdown, Day flipped the ball toward the official and ran to the sideline.
I had the privilege of interviewing Day several times last season. Whether it was at practice a few days after his father had passed away or moments after the Bowl Championship Series selection show revealed the Ducks weren’t in a big-time game, Day simply smiled and answered every question when I asked whether I could interview him.
The reason that a sports fan feels so strongly toward an individual or team is often based on the underdog role. Day is far from the underdog, but when Oregon switched its playbook prior to last season, Day got left out of the mix. His senior season totaled only 25 catches for 215 yards and one touchdown.
Those stats aren’t horrible by any means, but when you have a 6-foot-4, 265 pound frame able to outrun, run over and hurdle the defenders, those numbers should be. Maybe the Ducks’ struggles in the red zone were because they didn’t throw often enough to the nice guy.
But hey, Oregon went 10-2, and Day wasn’t seriously injured, so who really cares that he wasn’t a top three or four receiver to throw to?
I do.
It was about this time one year ago that Day was deciding whether he would enter the NFL Draft after his junior season, when he caught 35 passes for 457 yards and eight touchdowns. Instead of bolting for the pros, he decided to come back for his senior season. He wanted to get the 5-6 taste out of his mouth. I don’t think he was getting enough touches even that season, but at least he was finding the end zone.
And that is exactly what Day found Saturday when a scrambling quarterback tossed the ball up for grabs in the back of the end zone. The agility and toughness Day possesses combined to rip the ball out of the air and hang on securely. But Day didn’t pull out a gimmick or do flips in the end zone, pleading for an ESPN2 camera to spotlight him. Instead, he high-fived his teammates and set the example of how to win the right way – by putting in the effort, not whining and providing leadership (which the West used to win 35-31).
I sincerely hope that Day continues to shine with his effort and attitude in the NFL next year, because in the end, the nice guy always wins, at least in my book.
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