Special teams miscues were a major theme of the 2006 Oregon football season. Among those miscues were several fumbled punt returns, culminating in a pair of dropped punts in a 37-10 home loss to the Arizona Wildcats Nov. 18.
This season, the Ducks will put their faith in senior running back Andiel Brown to secure possession of the ball on punt returns. Just as important to Brown is that his teammates have put their faith in him as the team’s spiritual leader as well.
“I’ve orchestrated a number of prayers in the dorms while we’ve been in camp and organized a lot of things in that regard just looking after the team spiritually,” said Brown. “I feel that’s my greatest contribution, even more than what I’m able to do on punt returns.”
Brown has been organizing these prayer meetings during fall camp for the last three seasons and they have grown steadily each year. In the first year, Brown said he was lucky to get five people to the meetings. In the second year he said he was lucky to get 10.
This year, in Brown’s final fall camp, he said that there are usually about 20 players participating regularly in the meetings, and as many as 35 on occasion. He believes that a big reason for the increase in attendance is the number of team leaders who have started showing up regularly. Among those leaders, according to Brown, are wide receiver Cameron Colvin, quarterback Dennis Dixon and linebacker A.J. Tuitele, who are all seniors.
“When one player sees another player who is a team leader going to these prayer meetings because they believe it will help them on and off the field it helps bring people in and it unifies us,” he said.
Brown also thinks that the rise in attendance at his prayer meetings this season says good things about the mindset of the team.
“It says we’re a lot more mature than we were last year. We’re a lot more focused,” Brown said. “The team has really come together as a unit and as a family more so than we did last year. A lot more.”
Part of Brown’s success as a spiritual leader on the team undoubtedly stems from his inclusive attitude toward any and all denominations of Christianity.
“I don’t do the denomination thing. For me it’s all about the love of Christ,” said Brown. “Christ, you know, he didn’t make separations. He didn’t specify, like, ‘You’re going to be a Protestant and you’re going to be a Catholic’ and this and that. He was like, ‘Love all men.’”
On the field, Brown brings a work ethic and experience at the position that set him apart from the other returners on the team, according to special teams coach Tom Osborne. Brown started to show his promise as a punt returner last year against Portland State when he returned six kicks for 104 yards in the Ducks’ 55-12 victory, but a broken hand sidelined him for the rest of the season.
“It’s all about timing, 2005 wasn’t my time because we had (then-senior cornerback Justin) Phinisee. Last year wasn’t my time because I broke my hand. This year I want to stay healthy throughout the whole season and being a leader I can really help the other returners come up in their technique and I can help the team win,” he said.
Brown said he believes that he has the ability to break some big returns this season, but Osborne said that his ball-handling abilities are what got him the job.
“He’s the most consistent at fielding the ball, I mean, that’s our number one priority on any return is that we make good judgments on when to field the ball, how to field the ball and to consistently catch the ball and he’s the best guy we have at that,” said Osborne.
Brown credits his technique to the punt returners who mentored him. “I’ve had some great (returners) ahead of me. Steven Moore, when I first got here, he really took the time out to show me how to do it when nobody else would. And then in 2005 I was second string to Justin Phinisee,” said Brown. “When you have those great people around you pushing you and telling you that you can do it that just puts you in the right mindset to be successful.”
Osborne praised Brown’s work ethic as a key component to his success. “He works hard. He’s very committed to try to do the job right,” said Osborne. “He tries to do all the little things right and he spends extra time at it. He’ll come early and stay late at practice, all that kind of stuff.”
But no matter what this season brings on the field, Brown is satisfied with what he has been able to contribute to this team off the field. “That’s just icing on the cake,” he said. “What really to me validates all my hard work here is the fact that I’m looked to as a leader, and in my leadership I’m able to be more of a spiritual leader and take care of my teammates, spiritually.”
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