Wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei was the hero of the game for the Green team at Oregon’s spring scrimmage Saturday.
As the running clock wound down in the fourth quarter, the game still knotted at 14, Tuinei found himself wide open in the right side of the end zone as Green quarterback Justin Roper rolled out to his right. Roper tossed it to Tuinei, who got down to his knees and caught it for the game’s final score.
The Green team, composed of second-team offensive and first-team defensive players, beat the White team 21-14.
“I’m no hero,” Tuinei said with a sheepish grin, “but I was wide open, you know?”
Well, the degree of difficulty was marginal. Tuinei made the play he was supposed to make.
Tuinei was one of four junior-college transfers to enroll early into Oregon and participate in spring practices, along with defensive linemen Zac Clark and Terrance Montgomery and linebacker Bryson Littlejohn.
Tuinei, who has four years of eligibility remaining to play three seasons of football at Oregon, is a transfer from Golden West College in Huntington, Calif., and stands out among Oregon’s receivers in an eye test, possessing raw speed and athleticism in a six-foot-five frame. His leaping ability makes him a red-zone threat the Ducks arguably needed after Jaison Williams graduated, and it was on display to a modest degree at the Spring Game.
Currently positioned on the second-team offense, Tuinei is looking for any opportunity to gain first-team repetitions and, eventually, playing time this fall. He already has two avenues working for him: showing up early, and making the plays he’s supposed to make.
If I didn’t come this spring, it would take a long, long time for me to learn the plays,” said Tuinei, who caught five passes for 59 yards on Saturday. “I’m still learning the offense, to be honest with you. It’s a long process.”
With junior-college transfers, the clock always seems to be ticking. Littlejohn has only three years to play two with the Ducks. As a linebacker on the White team, Littlejohn recorded seven tackles – second to defensive back Chad Peppars, his White teammate – and erupted for a couple hits that caught the coaches’ eyes.
“(Josh) Kaddu and Littlejohn both had some big hits. They had some hits that were like, ‘Bam! What was that?’” said Oregon linebackers’ coach Don Pellum.
Pellum was quick to praise Littlejohn’s spring-practice improvement.
“I think Littlejohn has actually done a real good job,” Pellum said. “They think they’re in shape and they’re in shape to a degree, but it’s that D-I conditioning. And what happens is that they get tired, and that makes it hard to concentrate. You don’t really see that potential until the third or fourth week. He came in, of all the JC guys, in pretty good physical shape. That first week, he was dying. The second week, he was kinda hangin’ in there, but last week he was kinda … I think he’s done pretty well. His attention has been better.
“It’ll be interesting to see how he looks coming into August,” Pellum continued. “I have a feeling he’ll look pretty good.”
For his part, Littlejohn is aware of the work still ahead.
“It’s crunch time now; this is where the real season starts, right here in the summer,” Littlejohn said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do still.”
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JC transfers Tuinei and Littlejohn already making impressions
Daily Emerald
May 2, 2009
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