A broken bone couldn’t keep Stephen Clayton from playing in the biggest game of his life. In fact, the special teams specialist, playing with a cast around his hand, recorded the game’s first tackle in Oregon’s Fiesta Bowl victory over Colorado.
But he doesn’t recall much after that.
“I got smacked — I got smacked bad,” said Clayton, the Ducks’ backup safety who suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of the New Year’s Day bowl game. “That’s the hardest I’ve been hit since I’ve been here.
“I have to watch film to remember what happened in that game.”
This spring, though, nobody has to watch film to recognize what Clayton is bringing to the field as Keith Lewis’ backup at free safety. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Clayton led the team with six tackles in Friday’s scrimmage and also blocked a field goal attempt.
“I love Stephen Clayton,” Lewis said. “I really think that he’s playing better than me right now. Bottom line. I think he deserves a shot at running with the first group. We’re close as a secondary, and I can say that like he’s my brother.
“I really appreciate that he’s pushing me and trying to get me right, but at the same time I need to push him and get him right.”
Clayton, an energetic sophomore from Beaverton’s Westview High School, said he’s trying to get more familiar with the system this spring, after missing most of last spring with his
first concussion.
“I’m just trying to have fun and learn the basic stuff,” said Clayton, who had seven tackles in eight games last season. “Obviously I’m backing up Keith. I’m just trying to solidify my spot as the No. 2 and be ready if I’m needed.”
Come football season, though, expect to see more of the same from No. 7 on kickoffs.
“I want to be on a couple more special teams if I can,” Clayton said. “I talked to special teams coach (Robin) Ross about that. I want to do
whatever I can.”

Bellotti ‘excited’ for draftees
Head coach Mike Bellotti hasn’t had a chance to talk with his former quarterback Joey Harrington about Harrington’s selection as the No. 3 pick to the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft on
Saturday. Bellotti has, however, met with four of the six Ducks drafted over the weekend.
“I’ve seen four of the six kids in person, they’ve come to my office and we’ve talked and hugged, and I’m obviously very excited for them,” Bellotti said Tuesday. “I’m certainly excited to talk to Joey when he gets back. But I know there’s probably a thousand other people that are on that list right now.”

QB update
In the battle for the starting quarterback spot, junior Jason Fife and redshirt freshman Kellen Clemens continue to share time with the first team.
“I’ve seen improvement, but not as much as I would like to see,” Bellotti said of the quarterbacks. “Certainly when the standard right now is Joey Harrington or Akili Smith, who were both No. 3 draft picks, that’s obviously a pretty high standard.
“These guys are working very hard, they’re very intelligent and they’re very good athletes. Now they’ve found out what they don’t know and what they need to work on in the offseason.”