This season’s Pacific-10 Conference leader in sacks is not a monster defensive lineman. He’s not a powerful, 250-pound linebacker either.
Instead, it’s Oregon’s 6-foot-1, 226-pound strong safety Anthony Trucks, whose combination of strength and speed has allowed the senior to post big numbers in his final season with the Ducks.
“I never expected it,” Trucks said of the sacks. “To tell you the truth I didn’t expect to get one sack, but it happened that way and I’m just rolling with it. It’d be great to end the season the leader of the Pac-10.”
His breakout season has correlated nicely with Oregon’s success, as the Ducks are 8-1, thanks in large part to a defense that ranks second in the Pac-10 behind USC, surrendering only 353.2 yards per game.
After losing senior quarterback Kellen Clemens for the remainder of the season, playmakers on the defense, led by Trucks, have made key stops at opportune times to help an offense that has occasionally sputtered in Clemens’ absence.
Take, for example, Oregon’s battle in the desert against Arizona.
With the Ducks clinging to a 28-21 lead and the Wildcats driving late in the game for the tying score, Trucks forced running back Mike Bell to fumble and gave Oregon the ball and the chance to run out the clock.
Two weeks later against California, Trucks sacked Bears’ quarterback Joe Ayoob deep in Cal territory, causing a fumble that he recovered. That set up a Terrence Whitehead 18-yard touchdown run to put Oregon up 20-10 in the third quarter.
His flair for the dramatic has been evidenced countless times this season.
In addition to leading the conference in sacks with 10, Trucks leads Oregon’s defense with 68 total tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, which is good for a tie for second in the Pac-10.
The Antioch, Calif., native also has a Pac-10-high four forced fumbles, two of which came in Oregon’s win against Arizona State – a game in which Trucks was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle (10 solo), four-sack performance.
“As a senior, that’s kind of your job to make plays,” Trucks said. “Playmakers make plays when they need it.”
Trucks could understandably rest on his laurels this season, but much of his focus remains on future progress.
“I don’t focus on the good things; I focus on the bad things,” Trucks said of his strengths and weaknesses. “Sometimes I key things wrong. I’ve got to get my eyes better. Other than that, I’m all right.”
Despite garnering numbers that place his name atop team and conference leader boards, Trucks’ humility and willingness to improve has become the hallmark of his successful career after he made his presence known early as an Oregon Duck.
In 2002 as a freshman, Trucks was third on the team with 14 special teams tackles. He played in the final 11 games that season.
Following an encouraging start in the program, Trucks’ marked improvement has been consistent each year.
He came out of the gates strong in his sophomore season, accounting for four tackles in the season opener against Mississippi State. He finished the year with 16 total tackles, setting him up nicely for a solid junior season in which he amassed 55 total tackles and was fourth on the team in quarterback sacks.
“The improvement in Anthony Trucks is not in his ability because he’s always had tremendous talent. He’s playing now and staying healthy, and he’s making the most of his opportunities,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said.
This weekend, Trucks will lead the defense into Pullman, Wash., to take on Washington State – the team Trucks originally committed to before ultimately signing with Oregon.
Trucks made a recruiting visit to then-Cougar head coach Mike Price and was impressed with Pullman, committing to Price during the trip.
He then returned home to a swarm of calls from Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who encouraged Trucks to consider Oregon. Upon his visit to Eugene, Trucks withdrew his commitment to the Cougars.
“(Pullman) is just a cool college town. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and the fans are really loyal fans,” Trucks said. “But when I came here it seemed like it was better than it was there.”
Like many others, Trucks’ athleticism at wide receiver appealed to the Cougars. He caught 37 passes for 620 yards as a senior at Antioch High School for head coach Ferris Anthony. Trucks was a two-time first-team All-Bay Valley League selection and ranked second on the Panthers with 75 total tackles, including 15 sacks.
“He was primarily a receiver and sort of a rush defensive end in high school and probably had more notoriety as a receiver,” Bellotti said. “But we felt he could be a great defensive player doing exactly what he’s been doing this year.”
Trucks, who became a father last year and will marry in March, hopes to extend his football career to the NFL, but has other plans as well. He is set to graduate with a degree in human physiology next spring.
But before his career with the Ducks is said and done, there is unfinished business for Trucks, who, previous successes aside, is approaching the final two regular season games in his usual humble manner as a senior leader should.
“From here on out, it’s just basically win every game we can, and we have the potential,” Trucks said. “You look at one game at a time, period. I can’t imagine any time, any point that anyone has said anything about a team other than the team we are playing that week. That’s really all you do.”

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