Oregon's top 10 players of the 2000s: #8 - Keenan Howry
Arguably one of the most clutch players ever for the Ducks makes our countdown at number eight.
If there was a big play that needed to be made from 1999-2002, Keenan Howry was often the one who would come through.
During his freshman season in 1999, Howry made an outstanding sliding catch in the endzone on a pass from Joey Harrington for the game winning touchdown as the Ducks defeated Minnesota 24-20 in the Sun Bowl.
A year later, this time in the Holiday Bowl against Texas, Howry and Harrington teamed up again for one of the signature plays of the season. Howry took a pitch on what looked like a sweep play, but instead he pulled up and fired the ball back across the field to Harrington, who pulled in the pass and stumbled into the endzone for an 18-yard touchdown.
Howry made the biggest play of his career in the 2001 Civil War. Fourth-ranked Oregon trailed the Beavers 6-3 in the fourth quarter during a driving rainstorm at Autzen Stadium, when Howry provided the spark the Ducks needed. OSU was forced to punt, and Howry took the line drive kick and burst through the middle of the field for a 70-yard touchdown, giving Oregon its first lead en route to a 17-14 victory.
By the end of his career Howry's numbers stacked up well against the all-time great Oregon receivers. He is currently third on the Ducks' all-time list with 173 receptions (just five behind the all-time leader Samie Parker), and he is also third with 2,698 career receiving yards. His 24 touchdowns through the air are tied for the most ever at Oregon with Cristin McLemore.
Howry's career numbers are very impressive, and they could have been even better had the Oregon offense not sputtered down the stretch of the season - as the Ducks limped to a 1-6 finish - during his senior year in 2002.
He was named a third team All-American by the Associated Press during his junior season in 2001, and he was also a first-team All-Pac-10 selection.
Howry was drafted in the 7th round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
