Max Unger: A Eugene (Oregon) Perspective

Shortly after the 2009 NFL Draft concluded, I looked at the seven players selected by Seattle. I was fairly optimistic about our performance over the weekend; everything I’d read about the players we drafted looked positive, and they all seem like they’ll be good players in the NFL.

There was a problem, however.

Prior to researching for the 2009 draft, I’d never heard of some of these guys. I follow college football, but the majority of the guys I’ve actually watched spent most of their time kicking the hell out of my team. I was more interested in changing the channel rather than trying to determine the next Pro Bowl player.

Assuming it is the same for a lot of fans, I decided to obtain unique perspectives and opinions of these new Seahawks. Most of us have read their combine profiles, looked them up in draft guides, or (even worse) trusted the “experts” on television. But for the majority of us, that is the most we know about them.

So I figured the best way to learn about a player is to go straight to the source: the fans (and writers) who watched them mature and develop into stars at their respective colleges.

As a result, I reached out for information regarding particular players drafted by Seattle last weekend. The first player I inquired about was new offensive lineman Max Unger.

Andy McNamara (Assistant Director Media Services, Oregon Football) writes a blog at GoDucks.com called Duck Feed. I’ve already developed a positive opinion about Unger, but Mr. McNamara was kind enough to offer his perspective:

"Based on early draft projections, the Seahawks obviously received great value with their pick of Max Unger at No. 49 overall. But more importantly, they selected a player with the intelligence and character to match his physical tools. Max is as grounded off the field as he is competitive on it, and he’ll be an outstanding ambassador for the NFL and city of Seattle.As a player, he was arguably the top offensive lineman for one of the nation’s top collegiate rushing offenses (No. 2 in 2008) from the early stages of his redshirt season in 2004 until the end of his 51st consecutive start, where he blew open holes and helped wear down Oklahoma State’s defense in Oregon’s 42-31 Holiday Bowl romp this past December.Always one of the first players on the field before the start of practice, I expect that Max will soak up everything Seattle’s coaching staff throws at him and emerge as a formidable option at whatever spot is chosen for him along the offensive line."

Everything McNamara wrote about Unger reinforces my assumptions. I am looking forward to upcoming camps and next season with Unger, and looking forward to watching him develop as a Seattle Seahawk.

Is everyone else as excited about Max Unger as I am?