And The Nominees Are: Comeback Player Of The Year
04/26/16 | O Heroes, @GoDucksMoseley
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
On Monday, May 2, the UO athletic department will host the O Show award night in Matthew Knight Arena, hosted again by ESPN's Neil Everett.
The second annual ceremony shines a spotlight on department awards that have long been bestowed internally, providing a more public stage on which to honor UO student-athletes who are truly exceptional on and off the field. Nominations were made by UO student-athletes, and winners were selected through a vote by student-athletes and athletic department staff.
The Comeback Player Of The Year Award is given to the student-athlete who has overcome an injury and made an exceptional comeback.
And the nominees are …
BRALON ADDISON, Football
Robbed of his 2014 season by a knee injury, the elusive wide receiver and kick returner returned with a vengeance last fall. Led the UO football team with 63 receptions for 804 yards and 10 touchdown, earning second-team all-conference honors. Also returned 12 punts for 151 yards, including a memorable 81-yard return for a touchdown at Michigan State.
DEVON ALLEN, Track & Field
In January of 2015, he suffered a torn ligament in his knee at the Rose Bowl. That didn't prevent him from returning to the football season last fall, nor from taking the track and field world by storm a few months later. Won the 2016 NCAA Indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles in a personal-best and school record 7.56 seconds, helping the Men of Oregon win the team title. Also manages a 3.09 GPA in business administration.
JORDAN BELL, Basketball
A broken foot set back his offseason development, and delayed his return until a few games into the 2015-16 campaign. But once he was back, helped the Ducks finish strong in the nonconference season and go on to Pac-12 championships in the both the regular season and the conference tournament. Blocked 53 shots, third all-time at Oregon for a single season and giving him a UO career record 147. Grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in the Elite Eight against Oklahoma, and finished the season shooting .576, putting his UO record career field-goal percentage at .586.
MOLLY GRABILL, Cross Country
Was Oregon's third finisher in the six-kilometer races at the Pac-12 Championships (20:22.1) and NCAA Championships (20:21.8), three years after having her career derailed by a car wreck. Earlier in 2015, she finished fourth to earn all-American status in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor championships, helping the UO women earn the team title. The General Social Science major carries a 3.6 grade-point average.
MATT KROOK, Baseball
Missed the 2014 season after elbow surgery, and returned to the starting rotation as a redshirt sophomore this spring. Recently moved into the prestigious Friday night starting role, he has a 3-2 record with a 4.29 ERA. In 42 innings, has a ridiculous 54 strikeouts, and a batting average against of .177.
