Ugo Amadi has played in every game for the Oregon football team since he arrived on campus in 2015. His versatility has allowed him to help out wherever he is needed throughout the Oregon secondary.
Amadi is listed as cornerback on the official roster, but he played safety against UCLA earlier this season and often plays nickelback — a fifth defensive back.
“I feel like I can play anywhere on the field, so me being that dynamic helps the team out a lot,” Amadi said.
Against UCLA, and in the safety position for the first time, Amadi recorded a career-high nine total tackles and forced a fumble. Not a bad day in a new position, but Amadi has continued to make game-changing plays since then.  
In the Ducks’ 41-20 win over Utah, Amadi made arguably one of the most memorable plays of the season. Oregon was up by just a touchdown when Amadi, who was playing nickleback, lined up against former-Duck Darren Carrington. Carrington caught a pass and Amadi immediately hit him, and he did more than just make the tackle. Amadi stripped the ball from Carrington and took it back 47 yards for a touchdown. It was Amadi’s second fumble recovery of the season and the Ducks’ eighth as a team.
Taggart continually emphasized the importance of stripping the ball and getting those must-have takeaways. Amadi was able to make it happen in a big way and help shift the momentum of the game.
“Takeaways are huge; takeaways clean up a mess,” Amadi said. “Being able to make those types of plays will help out the defense whenever we’re in a sticky situation as a team overall in the game.”
Rotating through different positions may seem difficult, but the Oregon coaching staff puts an emphasis on understanding different positions. Amadi was prepared when the change came.  
“He’s a young man that can cover, and he’s a willing tackler,” safeties coach Keith Heyward said. “He does a lot for us … The way that we coach, all the guys have to understand the different positions and how they play. It’s good that we’re able to do that, because we’re going to need them.”
Amadi found the transition to be “pretty smooth.” He also added that at both safety and nickleback, you must be able to anticipate and communicate.
“I already knew the defense,” Amadi said. “It was just lining up at a different position and knowing that I had to fit in the run, and I have to be able to run to the ball, because I’m like halfway in the middle of the field.”
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