Picking just four wide receivers to memorialize with a hypothetical monument on Spencer's Butte is almost impossible. The passing attack has been the heart of Oregon football for at least 64 years, and the talent and heart Duck fans have seen take flight at Autzen Stadium is wondrous.
How do you leave off Pat Johnson, who made the electrifying fourth-quarter touchdown grab to beat Washington in 1997? It was third and 20, 2:37 to play, Ducks down by four.
The Huskies blitzed. Johnson laid out for the ball from Akili Smith. One of the fastest receivers in Oregon history, he made a perfect play to win the game before 70,000 fans at Husky Stadium against No. 6 Washington.
But Rushmores, even the theoretical having-a-pizza-and-a-beer at Track Town variety, aren't sculpted for mere moments. This is an attempt to honor the four greats, the irreplaceable legends, the four who changed Oregon football forever.
Johnson and his 9.93 sprinter's speed have to take a seat on the Webfoot bench. But it's an impressive bench, a place of great stories and incredible grace and artistry.
There isn't quite enough room on the face of the mountain for Josh Huff, Bralon Addison, Troy Franklin, Dillon Mitchell, Tony Hartley, Demetrius Williams, Jaison Williams. Tez Johnson was brilliant, architect of two of the best seasons in Oregon history, but he only played two years as a Duck.
Four names, and four names only. Out of a marvelous video montage of deep routes and leaps and clutch grabs over the middle, stories of courage and poise.
You can only choose four, and those four have to stand in for all the rest and all they contributed.
Samie Parker
Jeff Maehl
Keenan Howry
Cristin McLemore
A special mention has to go to Bob Newland and Ahmad Rashad, the two favorite targets for Dan Fouts and the gritty Webfoots from the early years at Autzen Stadium when games were attended by 22,000 fans and an occasional beer keg.
Newland held the Oregon record for receptions and yards for a long time before the spread offense and high-volume passing attacks of the 1990s and 2000s obliterated it. Moore caught 54 passes for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore in 1969 before moving to running back.
Parker shares the all-time record for receptions with Maehl at 178. Howry was the clutch target for Joey Harrington. McLemore once finished a Civil War game with food poisoning, cracked ribs, a bad ankle and a swollen hand, grabbing passes of 21 and 31 yards on the drive that got the Ducks into the '95 Rose Bowl.
Maehl was the rawhide-tough receiver who made so many big catches for the Chip Kelly teams from 2007-2010.