This is the story of a man who fathers a one-year-old son named Autzen. With fandom dedication like that, there’s no way Jesse Hill was ever just going to sit Oregon’s historic 2024 season out. 

Hill — or, Bama Duck (@205duckfan) on X — lives in Locust Fork, Alabama, deep in the heart of SEC country. And yet, his heart belongs to the only undefeated team in the Big Ten. 

Hill grew up 45 minutes from Alabama’s Bryant Denny Stadium and just seven minutes from the high school that produced both Bo Nix and Tez Johnson. Because Nix’s talent often led him to play above his age group, Hill faced Nix on the field several times. 

Hill’s aunt in Madras, Oregon, added him to the Ducks’ fan base at a young age. 

“She said, ‘you’re not going to say “roll tide,”’” Hill said. “She planted the seed and began to water it. She would send me [Oregon] hoodies and tee shirts. It was always this really cool thing. I’d be in this sick Nike gear walking around the high school halls while everyone else was in [Alabama or Auburn] stuff.”

He made his first trip to Autzen in 2018 for one of Oregon’s more historic wins over the Washington Huskies. 

“I said that day ‘inject this into my veins for the rest of my life,’” Hill said. “There will never be another place for me except for the University of Oregon and Autzen Stadium.”

But his claim to fame started amidst Oregon’s incredible 12-0 season. 

Living in Alabama, traveling to the West Coast for games was more of a task for Hill than he’d like. He recalls several trips out to Autzen that forced him and his wife into sleepless nights on airport floors and brutal travel days. 

But, like it did for so many fans, Oregon’s move to the Big Ten changed things for Hill. Road contests in the midwest opened doors for Hill to hit the road and flock to the biggest games. 

He said the total drive time for Big Ten road games is comparable to the total travel time it takes him to fly from Birmingham to Eugene. 

“I looked on Wednesday night and tickets were like $30,” Hill said of the Michigan game. “I said, ‘you ain’t gotta pull my leg. I’ll drive for a $30 ticket to The Big House.’”

So, Hill hit the road. A 10-and-a-half-hour drive to Ann Arbor, Michigan, gave him a chance to see the cathedral the Michigan Wolverines call home. He bought a ticket an hour before game time. For just $13, Hill sat on the 20-yard line at Michigan Stadium. 

A few weeks later, Oregon was preparing for a trip to Madison, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Hill was plotting a scheme of his own. On a whim, he threw out a post on social media, asking for free gas and support from QuikTrip and CFP analyst Josh Pate.

He told his wife, “If it works, I get to go to the Wisconsin game. If not, I wasn’t going anyway.”

Within 20 minutes, Pate reposted his message. The post exploded overnight. 

“I woke up and there were 651 notifications on my phone,” Hill said. “The whole screen was just Twitter notifications. I’m from a town where my graduating class was the biggest the high school had ever seen with 61 kids. So for thousands of people to be interacting with my Tweet was crazy.”

So, Hill hit the road again. A grueling, 12-hour trek to Camp Randall was rewarded with an ugly win over the Wisconsin Badgers. But, it was the chance to see another iconic stadium and add a chapter to his story.

QuikTrip paid for Hill’s gas to get to and from Camp Randall. He got to see another iconic venue for a minimal cost. 

“To have people stop me on the sidewalk and ask if I was the QuikTrip guy was so cool,” he said. “To be able to be the vessel of what an Oregon fan would love to do, I was just truly humbled.”

While his passion is maxed out, his story continues to grow. Hill said he’s received offers from kind-hearted individuals to pay for rental cars and other travel expenses. He’s working on finding a videographer to help share his story with more than his newfound social media followers. 

“I never wanted to monetize it,” Hill said. “That was never my purpose. That’s kinda where I drew the line. We’re not taking hard-earned money from normal people that are enthralled with my story.”

Now, Hill turns his sights to Indianapolis. He’s making the seven-hour drive from Locust Fork to Indy with his brother and niece. It’ll be both of their first times seeing the Ducks play in person, but for Hill, it’s just the latest stop in what’s become an incredible pattern of unforgettable road trips.