“If we’re sitting here and I had to choose, would I take a concussion right now or would I want my knee blown out?” New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski asked on Showtime’s Jim Rome Show on April  2. “I’m going to say a concussion.”

Despite growing knowledge of the long term damages concussions can cause to the brain, as well as 24-year-old San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland’s surprising decision to leave the National Football League due to what he said, being “proactive” about the sport’s inherent risks, Gronkowski’s statement was revealing.

In 2013, Gronkowski suffered both a concussion and an anterior cruciate ligament tear. The ACL tear ended his season and required months of rehabilitation. The concussion did not. It is why the Super Bowl winning tight end has previously said the answer is “obvious.”

University of Oregon offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone disagrees.

“I think for the long term an ACL injury is a little more safe,” Johnstone said. “I want to be around and functioning when I’m 50. I might have some arthritis in my knees, but I’ll be walking and having a sound mind and that matters to me more.”

Johnstone tore his ACL on Dec. 30, 2013 and has not played football since. He missed the entire 2014 season after tearing the same ligament again last August. He had started 26 consecutive games when the initial injury occurred and has spent the last 16 months rehabilitating.

He knows how frustrating the injury can be.

“It sucks,” Johnstone said. “It absolutely sucks.”

On the other hand, a concussion is typically overcome within seven to 10 days. But Johnstone has read about head injuries and it has led him to one conclusion: “The brain is nothing to be messed with.”

Johnstone has been playing football since he was 8-years-old. In high school, he was ranked the 16th best prep offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com. After his redshirt freshman season at Oregon, he was named a Freshman All-American.

He has plans to play in the NFL following the 2015 season. But, “if the brain is not something to be messed with,” why continue playing the sport?

For Johnstone, he doesn’t think about it. He acknowledges the strains that football puts on the body.

“You know how good I would feel if I didn’t play football,” he said. 

His teammates, Sam Kamp and Andre Yruretagoyena, recently made the decision to cut their collegiate careers short because of injury and health concerns. But, Johnstone has never felt the urge to quit for reasons like that.

The same goes for offensive lineman Matt Pierson who was awarded a scholarship following the 2014 season.

“For me, the reward of playing football vastly outweighs the risks of an injury, like a concussion,” Pierson said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Pierson’s response is common. He’s aware of the risk, though, which separates the sport from what it used to be.

Oregon defensive backs coach John Neal joked that concussions did not occur when he played in the ’70s and ’80s. Linebackers coach Erik Chinander said, “guys were concussed, but we’d let him go,” in the ’90s.

The landscape has changed.  Much of the awareness has to do with the horror stories Johnstone has read about – the ones about former players who’s personalities changed due to repetitive head trauma.

“It’s the most terrifying thing ever,” Johnstone said. “But you just have to do it and take the right precautions to protect yourself.”

Johnstone has never been diagnosed with a concussion, but as an offensive lineman, is asked to bang his head into a defender every single play. The constant hitting can also lead to a concussion and is something Johnstone said, “normal people” do not deal with.

Chris Borland saw the new information on head injuries as warning signs and retired. Johnstone is aware of it, too. He’s just leaning the other way.

“Honestly, that’s probably smart,” Johnstone said. “But I wouldn’t do it.”

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– Remember the accusations former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla made about Oregon football’s recruiting of him out of high school. Lyerla said in a SB Nation article last September that he was promised a house and car for attending the university.

Over a half-year later,and Oregon says its found no evidence that those remarks are true, according to KOIN. 

– Marcus Mariota is establishing a four-year scholarship fund at the high school he attended, Saint Louis School. 

“Saint Louis School and my family made me who I am today,” Mariota said in a statement. “I want future generations of student athletes in financial need to know they can become the best they can be in a strong, supportive environment.”

– Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback has Mariota being drafted second by the Tennessee Titans in his latest mock draft. In addition, King has Arik Armstead going to the San Francisco 49ers with the 18th selection and Jake Fisher going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 21st pick.

– The Oregon men’s basketball team granted the release of junior center Michael Chandler on Tuesday, according to a press release from the school.

“We would like to thank [Chandler] for being an important part of our team this season, and respect his wish to find the best opportunity moving forward,” head coach Dana Altman said in the release. “We wish Michael all the best in the future.”

Chandler is now eligible to seek a transfer from the school.

– In the fall of 2015, a club basketball team will exist at the University of Oregon. Sophomore Max Graves, who transferred to Oregon after a year at Santa Clara, was the first to spearhead the idea.

– Oregon softball’s Jenna Lilley was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week Tuesday afternoon. 

“I’m honored to receive this recognition and I want to thank my coaches and teammates for putting me in this position,” Lilley said in a release.

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Jeff Lockie took on a bit of the spotlight in last year’s spring game. He was involved in the battle to be Marcus Mariota’s backup with Jake Rodrigues throughout the 2014 spring practices and the final run through expected to be a chance for either to win the position. It didn’t go that way. Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said, “meh,” when asked to describe the play of both Rodrigues and Lockie.

Lockie finished that game completing seven of his 12 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He became the permanent backup quarterback in 2014 after Rodrigues departed from the program.

Now, Lockie heads into this year’s spring game engaged in a much more meaningful competition: the battle for starting quarterback. He took the time after Monday’s practice to speak with the media about the last week of spring ball and his mindset leading up to the game itself.

How was today, last week of spring ball?

Today went all right. Numbers were a little low so we were sloppy in some parts, but that’s kind of how it goes.

How do you think the spring game is going to unfold?

Good. Coaches are going to figure out teams pretty soon and we’ll split up and we’ll play. I think we should be pretty good numbers and health wise Saturday.

Does anything change when you have a lot riding on this game? 

Not too much. I’ve been in spring before competing with other guys. This time the stakes are a little higher and there’s a little more quarterbacks competing so it keeps things pretty similar.

Is that more of a mental preparation, knowing that you’ve been there before?

Absolutely, it helps. Being here since my freshman year, competing since I stepped on campus with other guys. It helps you get the mindset of how to go into practice. Not comparing yourself to others, but it helps me worry about myself more.

For the spring game, what is the number one thing you want to show coaches? 

I think we just want to score every time we have the ball. We don’t want to punt, we don’t want to sell out. We want to take care of the ball number one and score touchdowns.

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Oregon baseball head coach George Horton and junior outfielder Scott Heineman are suspended for parts of the Ducks’ upcoming series with University of Washington, according to a statement from the University of Oregon athletic department.

The suspensions come as a result of their ejection in Sunday’s game versus University of Southern California.

“I’m just accepting it — it is what it is,” Heineman said.

Horton is suspended for the first two games of the series for arguing with an umpire after he was ejected. Heineman is suspended for Friday’s contest for unsportsmanlike conduct to an umpire.

“Both suspensions are automatic and neither has an appeals process,” the UO athletic department said in a press release.

Horton chose not to comment on his reaction to the suspension.

“I have a great staff, I’m sure it will be seamless,” Horton said. “It’s going to kill me not to be here, I think we need all hands on deck.”

Dean Stiles, Oregon’s pitching coach, will call pitches Friday and Saturday in Horton’s absence. Assistant coach Mark Wasikowski will continue to run the team’s offense.

Horton will watch the game on TV away from PK Park, as he isn’t allowed in the stadium during the two games.

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– Historic Hayward Field will be the site of the 2021 Track and Field World Championships and a few renovations will be made for the event. Seating will have to be around 30-35,000 capacity for the meet. Hayward currently seats 10,500 people, with the ability to expand to 21,000.

Infrastructure, amenities for the crowd and accommodations for the international media will have to be addressed as well.

“I think we have a very capable group of people who should be able to figure this out,” TrackTown USA President Vin Lananna said.

– Former Oregon basketball player Damyean Dotson joined the Houston men’s basketball team, first reported by the Houston Chronicle Tuesday. Dotson was dismissed from Oregon last spring after a sexual assault investigation.

“After speaking with Damyean, his family and former coaches, I feel confident in Damyean’s abilities to be an outstanding person on the University of Houston campus and a great representative of our program,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told ESPN. “He has learned from previous experiences in his life and has shown himself to be worthy of a second chance. I am certain that he will make the most of this opportunity.”

– Oregon track and field participated in the Oregon Relays over the weekend and a number of athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships. 

– While the Oregon Relays were taking place, Jenna Prandini recorded two world leading marks at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut Creek, California. Her 10.92 in the 100 meters gives here the Oregon school record, the world leading time and ranks her second all-time at the collegiate level.

“You are talking about number two all-time; leaves you speechless and breathless the fact she can go out and do those things,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said.

– Oregon baseball took just one of three from USC in its series in Los Angeles over the weekend. On Sunday, six walks, three hit batters and a critical error that pushed home two unearned runs helped USC defeat the Ducks, 7-3. Oregon returns home for a series with Washington starting Friday.

– Oregon seniors Nicole Long and Sofia Hager helped the Ducks’ women’s tennis team to a 5-2 win over Idaho on senior day. 

“It was great to see Nicole and Sofia end their career with wins,” head Coach Alison Silverio said. “They really attacked today’s matches.”

– Oregon men’s tennis defeated Washington 4-1 on its own senior day. Seniors Daniel Sardu and Joey Swaysland played together as doubles partners despite only doing so on two prior occasions this season. Their 6-2 defeat over Washington’s Joao Barra and Viktor Farkas set the tone for the Ducks early.

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Oregon baseball has won three of its last three games and is hoping to continue the  momentum it gained after taking two of three games from Oregon State. Next up for Oregon is USC, who ranks third in the Pac-12, and Emerald staff reporters Andrew Bantly and Kenny Jacoby break down the most pressing questions for the Ducks at this point in the year. 

The Ducks took the lead late in the game in their two wins against Oregon State. What’s your takeaway?

Jacoby: Its two dramatic wins over the Beavers will serve as a major vote of confidence for Oregon in upcoming Pac-12 competition. By no means did the Ducks play their cleanest baseball in the Civil War victories.  They could have easily been swept. By coming back from six runs behind on Sunday however, the Ducks proved they can win with their backs are against the walls – even when they don’t play their best game.

Bantly: I’m, more or less, impressed. Why? Well let’s start with the ugly: Oregon’s game on Sunday was full of mistakes and errors. Conor Harber struggled on the mound, too. Saturday was poor. Friday was lucky. The good: Oregon battled. No matter what negative analysis you can take from the weekend, they fought back to win the series. And that hasn’t been normal.

David Peterson and Conor Harber didn’t shine against the Beavers. Are you concerned?

Jacoby: Peterson has lost his last five outings and Harber doesn’t have a quality start all season. But the shortage of options at starting pitcher leaves Horton handcuffed. I think Peterson will pitch Saturday – hopefully he can last long enough so as not to exhaust the bullpen for Sunday. I foresee Horton employing a committee-style approach on Sunday and sticking with whoever has the hot hand.

Bantly: Sure. But not because Harber or Peterson really have any threat to lose their jobs, it’s because everyone else worth starting is hurt. Matt Krook, Jack Karraker, Joe Reta – all hurt. Though, I still think Cooper Stiles would make an interesting Sunday starter. But the fact is those two guys have bailed out Peterson and Harber more than they should have as of late.

USC sits in third place in the Pac-12. Oregon is tied for 10th. Who’s getting closer to the top when this one is over?

Jacoby: Too many question marks exist in the Oregon starting rotation, whereas the USC pitching staff ranks second in the Pac-12 with a 2.82 collective ERA. Cole Irvin delivered his first quality start of the year with the spotlight on, but he’ll face another tough test against Kyle Twomey. I said Oregon would need to play near-perfect baseball against OSU. It didn’t, yet it managed to win the Civil War. I don’t, however, see the Trojans bailing Oregon out in their house.

Bantly: I think Oregon battles and plays a hell of a series, though I don’t see them leaving LA with more than one win. Sure, the Ducks could pull off the series win, but that will take a consistent and dominant effort, which is something they have yet to show all year. Not just during their slump, but all year. For Oregon, it’s all about playing good baseball before the season ends.

Oregon baseball’s skid continues. The team was swept last weekend versus Michigan State and now welcomes Oregon State to PK Park for a weekend series. Emerald staff reportersKenny Jacoby and Andrew Bantly preview the upcoming matchup, offering insights, predictions and more.

With Conor Harber going down last weekend, the Oregon rotation is down  two regular weekend starters. Following David Peterson and Cole Irvin, who would you have round out the starting rotation?

Jacoby: With Joe Reta down as well, I suspect Trent Paddon will be the heir to Harber’s spot in the rotation. He started three games as a freshman and five this year, and Horton seems to have more faith in him than the freshman Jacob Corn. Paddon has the worst opposing batting average on balls in play (.415) on the team while Corn has the worst FIP (5.01). Either way, it should be… interesting.

Bantly: I’d give Cooper Stiles a shot. He’s different. With his near-submarine arm angle, he presents a different look. Not to mention he’s got a better ERA than both Trent Paddon and Jacob Corn – it’s not really close. He pitched four shutout, one-hit innings on April 7 against Portland in relief and came in when the Ducks were losing. He kept him in the game – something Corn and Paddon have failed to do on numerous occasions.

Oregon’s downward spiral hit a rare bright spot on Tuesday against Portland – a sign of better things to come?

Jacoby: Finally seeing Oregon capitalize on its opportunities was a sight for eyes. Still, I don’t put too much stock into the win. Portland came into the match-up last week having lost 13 of its last 14 games. This is a team that Oregon must beat — handedly — if it wants to stay up to par with its competition. I won’t be a believer until I see double-digit runs on the scoreboard versus a Pac-12 squad.

Bantly: So yeah, it’s Portland. Its 7-26 record entering the game can explain their sovereignty or lack there of. But wait, it beat Oregon about a week ago? In Eugene? Yeah… Listen, Portland, who scored six runs against Oregon in its previous meeting, was silenced offensively by the bullpen on Tuesday. Whereas Oregon knocked around 15 hits, including two home runs, and only struck out four total times. And the Ducks were sound defensively. To me, it’s a newborn baby-step in the right direction.

The all important question: who wins the Civil War?

Jacoby: Oregon State sweep.

The Ducks are far too cold for me to choose over a fundamentally sound program like Oregon State. They’ll need to play near perfect baseball to win, and their fielding percentage is worst in conference whereas Oregon State’s ranks 20th nationally. Oregon will face two of the best pitchers in the country in Eugene-native Andrew Moore and freshman Drew Rasmussen, who threw a perfect game not long ago. Oregon is hitting just .253 collectively and I don’t see this series being its turning point.

Bantly: The Michigan State series, among many, made me realize how un-godly my predications really are. I’m colder than Oregon baseball in March (7-11) after picking it to win two of three against MSU instead of getting swept, as what happened.  I have no idea now. Oregon could show up as the team it can (should) be or it could be the kind of team that loses to Portland and swept by San Francisco — both at home. Surely being wrong: Oregon State takes two of three.

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That was quick. Just under three months since Oregon last played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship, spring football is starting.

With it, a question mark exists at the ever-so-important quarterback position for the first time since 2012. Marcus Mariota, a three-year starter and Oregon’s first Heisman Trophy winner, is gone. The 15 practice periods the Ducks are allowed to have – along with the annual spring game that is scheduled for May 2 – figures to start a quarterback competition that can’t even fully begin until August.

Vernon Adams, who was named the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player after throwing for 3,483 yards, 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions for Eastern Washington in 2014, announced that he will transfer to the University of Oregon in February. He isn’t eligible to suit up for Oregon until he graduates in June though, creating an interesting dynamic for the spring as the competition begins.

Jeff Lockie, who has served as Mariota’s backup for the past two seasons, appears to be the leader of this pack of candidates. He’ll be joined by redshirt freshman Morgan Mahalak, redshirt sophomores Ty Griffin and Taylor Alie, and incoming freshman Travis Jonsen. Jonsen, a four-star recruit in the 2015 class, is enrolled at UO for the spring.

Quarterback isn’t the only position on the team where there’s change. Oregon relied on a cast of upperclassmen like offensive linemen Hroniss Grasu and Jake Fisher, cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and wide reciever Keanon Lowe who have all departed from the program.

But, the amount of injuries Oregon was consumed by last year meant an unusual amount of underclassmen were receiving playing time. That will be invaluable going forward, as Oregon also looks to have players returning from injury and freshmen-turned-sophomores with experience.

Here’s a rundown of what this spring may hold for head coach Mark Helfrich and his staff:

– Bralon Addison was the headlining story from last spring for all the wrong reasons. Now a redshirt junior, the receiver was coming off a career year in 2013 and was considered to be one of the featured threats the Ducks would have in their arsenal. But, his 2014 season was stripped from him in April after he suffered a torn ACL. Almost a year from the injury, he’s now ready to “get hit for the first time again,” according to the Oregonian.

– Oregon’s offensive line will experience a bit of a transition this spring. Fisher, Grasu and Hamani Stevens have departed. Yet, players like sophomore Tyrell Crosby and redshirt sophomore Doug Brenner received a substantial amount of experience they can carry into the spring at their respective positions. Tyler Johnstone is still rehabbing an ACL injury he had in August, but expects to be a key part of the line come September.

– Oregon’s defense won’t have much to replace at the linebacker position. Seniors Joe Walker, Tyson Coleman and Rodney Hardrick are returning, leaving just one position open. In the secondary, three players departed and the defensive line has plenty of questions associated with it, too.

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– Oregon baseball has yet to find its rhythm in Pac-12 play. The Ducks were swept in their weekend series at Arizona, in which the Wildcats outscored them 29-11. Oregon is now 2-7 against conference foes.

– Oregon softball beat No. 19 Washington 15-6 on Sunday. With the win, Oregon won the series and remains atop the Pac-12 standings.

– The softball team received a setback during its 10-2 loss to the Huskies on Saturday, though. Janie Takeda, a two-time All-American, left the game after an outfield collision. Her status remains unknown.

– Oregon acrobatics and tumbling fell for just the second time this season to Hawaii Pacific on Saturday. Hawaii Pacific recorded a 101.10 in the final event to win the meet 282.050 – 280.295.

– In its bout with defending national champion UCLA, Oregon women’s tennis was unable to come away with a victory at home Saturday, losing 5-2. 

But it was not a day without victories for the Ducks.

“To play against two of the top teams in the nation and to compete and battle the way we did, proves to ourselves we’re moving in the right direction,” Oregon head coach Alison Silverio said.

– Oregon men’s golf placed fifth at The Goodwin in Stanford, California over the weekend. The Ducks shot a 9-under 271. Jonathan Woo paced the team, scoring a 4-under 66 to place him 6th individually.

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– A year ago, Wisconsin outscored the Ducks by 20 points in the second half on its way to the Sweet 16. On Sunday, the teams met under the same circumstances. This time, the Badgers never trailed, winning 72-65 and ending an Oregon season that no one expected would even reach this point. 

– In his final game in an Oregon uniform, Joseph Young scored 30 points. The 30 brought his total for the season to 745, tying him with Terrell Brandon for the most points in a season in school history. 

– Five homeruns and 16 hits later, the No. 2 Oregon softball team remained undefeated in conference play with a 15-9 victory over Utah. The win improves the group to 25-3 on the season.

– Oregon starting pitcher Cole Irvin helped the Ducks avoid a sweep on Sunday. He pitched 5.2 innings and Oregon’s bats came alive for the first time all weekend, leading to a 5-1 win over Arizona State.

– Oregon women’s tennis edged out Colorado on Sunday, winning 4-3. The match came down to Nicole Long’s No. 3 match-up against Kyra Wojcik.  Long won 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a third set and secured the win.

– Oregon men’s golf is experiencing one of the best season’s in the program’s history. The group will hope to continue that success at home on Monday and Tuesday in the the 26th annual Duck Invitational at the Eugene Country Club.  

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