The heart of Manhattan is about as different from Eugene as a place can get. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix has been all around the country during his long and illustrious college career, but has never graced the bright lights of New York City.
In his last season as a college player, Nix had his best season yet and earned himself a nomination for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. He is the first Oregon player since Marcus Mariota in 2014 to be nominated for the award.
Covering Nix and the Ducks this season makes being in Manhattan this weekend much more special, and it’s only fitting that an Oregon student was present at the culmination of one of its brightest careers.
“I can’t believe that I’ve been able to represent Oregon in the way that I have,” said Nix on Friday, “I don’t take that lightly, you know the fan base and the history of Oregon, I’m proud to represent them.”
It was hard not to feel an overwhelming sense of pride seeing my school, and the team I cover, being represented on college football’s grandest stage in the country’s biggest city.
Nix threw for 4145 yards this season, which was second in the nation, and 40 touchdowns, which was tied for first in the nation. He also posted a 77.2 completion percentage, which is .2 percent lower than the NCAA record set in 2020 by Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.
As I traveled into midtown, I frequently thought about the drastic differences between the reality I was seeing outside and the reality in Eugene. The Big Apple has played host to part of the culmination of every college season, and it has been some time since the Ducks have been represented here.
What was apparent was that the moment was not too big for the Ducks’ star. He acted with the poise of a true professional, even while having to sit through grueling rounds of questions, with reporters streaming in and out.
Even when Nix had to answer very similar questions from different reporters, he remained poised, which is a testament to the calm and collected mindset he carries into this weekend. One of the questions he often had to elaborate on was what it would mean to him to be named the Heisman Trophy winner.
“It would mean so much more than I can probably explain. It’s always been a goal…just to be here is a blessing, and it would mean a lot to win because you join such a great group and it’s just a really awesome award,” said Nix.
The general consensus around the room on who the voters had chosen was evident, but unspoken, despite the fact that many of the voters were in New York this weekend. However, nothing about the tense atmosphere seemed to affect Oregon’s talisman.
Nix often mentioned how it’s fruitless to worry about the outcome of the voting, as the games had been played and the winner had already been decided and there was nothing more he could do.. He also noted how much of an impact his father and his close proximity to the game impacted his journey to this position.
Nix discussed how he had been dreaming of the Heisman ever since he was a kid, but being able to remove that from his thought process and focus on being the best he could be on and off the field.
“As my college career evolved, I started to reach my full potential and started having fun, just enjoying the experience,” said Nix on the day of the ceremony. “Not necessarily focusing on the opinions of others and what people thought and the awards you get, but just having fun in the locker room, being around your teammates…at the end of the day whatever you can do to help your team win.”
One of his biggest supporters is his father, a successful Alabama high school football coach, who just won an Alabama state title this past Wednesday. Nix made the time to be there for his father’s special moment, as his father has done so many times for him.
What has shined through this weekend was Nix’s maturity and character being in such a major spotlight. He handled himself in an astonishingly professional manner while also being able to express how honored and excited he was to be recognized as a finalist. The moment was never lost on Nix, and it was very clear how much winning the trophy would mean to him.
Unfortunately for Nix and all Ducks fans, the award went to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who tied Nix for the national lead in passing touchdowns with 40.
Nix has demonstrated over the weekend that simply being considered for this honor is enough for him, something that he chalked up to the decision of the sportswriters not being something in his control.
All of the finalists spoke about being present in the moment and “keeping the main thing the main thing,” which appeared to be Nix’s philosophy throughout the weekend, as it is easy to get lost in all of the hype surrounding events like this. Oregon’s quarterback is focused now on playing one last time with his teammates in the Fiesta Bowl.
As I walked out of the Marriot Marquis into the heart of Times Square, the largest and brightest billboards, which once displayed the phrase “Bodacious,” now showed a video package of this year’s Heisman.
This served as a reminder of how magical this season has been for the Ducks, but also how close they were to seeing their leader take home all the glory. Being able to closely watch this team throughout the season has been an incredible experience. It is one that took me to Manhattan, where I had the opportunity to see firsthand the representation of Oregon’s remarkable accomplishments this season by its acclaimed leader.
