It’s always enjoyable to key in on Eddie Pleasant during Oregon games — along with fellow safety John Boyett, he’s one of the more fiery personalities on Oregon’s defense, and has a knack for finding the ball. His hits are equally intense, a reminder of his roots as a linebacker. Overlooked in all of this, at times, is Pleasant’s pure athleticism. His 4.74 40-yard dash time is the fastest in Oregon’s secondary, and his agility is equally impressive. Rare is the occasion that you see Pleasant bested in the open field. And when he is in danger of being beaten, the converted safety can use those same fast twitch muscles to grab the runner from the air. Which, of course, is what’s captured perfectly in this shot.
I’m a sucker for these types of photos, when it looks like the athlete is floating effortlessly through the air. Somehow, they look even more inhumanly gifted than they really are. We don’t know from this photo whether Pleasant completed the tackle or fell short, but the beauty is in the effort — the arms outstretched in the shape of an impending bear hug, and the eyes trained directly at his target.