After four years with the Oregon football program, redshirt seniors Grant Thompson and Kenny Bassett earned scholarships.
“It still hasn’t really set in,” Thompson told the Emerald in a phone interview Friday afternoon. “It’s one of my happiest recent moments.”
The two players received the news in a team meeting following their morning workout. When head coach Mark Helfrich announced Thompson and Bassett would receive scholarships, the other players showered them with applause.
“Everybody knows how hard me and Grant were working, so they were really excited for us, thought it was well deserved,” Bassett said.
Both players said there were adverse moments throughout the past four years, when the absence of playing time and scholarships made it hard to keep pushing. Bassett said the hardest time was freshman year when he tore his ACL.
Thompson said he considered hanging up his cleats while packing the night before the team left for the 2012 Rose Bowl versus Wisconsin.
“At a time like that, it seems crazy,” Thompson said. “But things weren’t really going my way and the road had gotten tough.”
Thompson was also asked about a time when the grind of being a non-scholarship player felt worth it.
“This time made it all worth it,” he said, referring to the scholarship news.
The athletic department released a statement from Helfrich Friday afternoon regarding Thompson’s and Bassett’s scholarships.
“It’s very exciting to acknowledge and reward the hard work and dedication that these two young men have demonstrated on and off the field,” Helfrich said.
After Helfrich announced the news to the team, Thompson said he gave Bassett a big hug and said, “Let’s go.” But he also looked ahead to next season, their final one at Oregon.
“We’ve got to keep working,” Thompson told Bassett.
Both players participated on the scout team in 2010, their redshirt season. Bassett, a running back from Beverly Hills (California) HS, received 17 carries for 34 yards last season and 16 carries for 40 yards in 2010. Thompson is a linebacker from Cottage Grove (Oregon) HS who appeared in several games last season, five in 2012 and two in 2011. He was also named Oregon’s scout team player of the year in 2011.
Multiple teammates and former teammates congratulated the pair over Twitter on Friday.
Congrats to 2 of the hardest working people I know, day in and day out. @gthompson59 and @KennyBassett SCHOLARSHIPS!!! #GoDucks
— Keanon Lowe (@KeanonLowe7) May 23, 2014
A little extra motivation today proud of the two hardworking dudes @gthompson59 and @KennyBassett!
— Daichman86 (@AustinDaich) May 23, 2014
"suits and ties, yelling out pay the guys!" SCHOLARSHIP!! Congrats to my bro @KennyBassett #GM™ pic.twitter.com/h0nswoFNFj
— Eric Dungy (@Edee9teen) May 23, 2014
Yessssss @KennyBassett @gthompson59 !!! Pumped for you both!! Well deserved
— Jeff Palmer (@jeffpalmerr) May 23, 2014
Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415