Joey Harrington: Captain Comeback
6 comeback wins. Fiesta Bowl champion. The QB who proved Oregon belonged.
Before Marcus Mariota, before Justin Herbert, before anyone thought of Oregon as a quarterback factory, there was Joey Harrington. Captain Comeback. He led six comeback victories in the 2001 season, won the Fiesta Bowl, and finished #2 in the final AP Poll. He was drafted #3 overall in 2002. Harrington put Oregon football on the national map. Every good thing that happened after him started with the foundation he built.
#3
Draft Pick
2002, Detroit Lions
6
Comeback Wins
2001 season
#2
Final AP Rank
2001 (11-1)
Fiesta
Bowl Champion
2001 season
The 2001 Season
Oregon went 11-1 in 2001 and finished #2 in both polls. Harrington engineered six comeback victories, earning the Captain Comeback nickname. The team had an identity built around refusing to quit. They trailed in game after game and kept coming back. Harrington was the reason. His poise under pressure, his arm talent, and his leadership turned a good team into a great one.
The Fiesta Bowl
Oregon beat Colorado in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl to cap the 11-1 season. It was the first BCS bowl win in Oregon history. The Ducks were no longer a cute Pac-10 story. They were a legitimate national program. Harrington's performance in that game cemented his legacy as the quarterback who took Oregon from regional to national.
Why He Mattered
Harrington was the first Oregon quarterback drafted in the top 5 in the modern era. He was the first to lead Oregon to a top-2 finish. He was the first to win a BCS bowl. His billboard went up in Times Square during the 2001 Heisman campaign. Oregon had never had that kind of national exposure. Harrington opened the door that Chip Kelly and Marcus Mariota walked through.
Legacy
Ranked #3 among Oregon quarterbacks behind Mariota and Herbert. His NFL career with the Lions and other teams did not match his college success, but that is not the point. Harrington's Oregon career changed the program's self-image. Before Harrington, Oregon hoped to be good. After Harrington, Oregon expected to be great.
Career Highlights
Fact
Portland Native, Jazz Pianist
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Attended Central Catholic High School. Father John played QB at Oregon. Grandfather played QB at the University of Portland. An accomplished jazz pianist who has performed with Jason Mraz, Blues Traveler, and Third Eye Blind.
Fact
$250,000 Times Square Billboard
During the 2001 Heisman campaign, Oregon put an 80x100-foot billboard of Harrington in Times Square, directly across from Madison Square Garden. Cost: $250,000. Dubbed him 'Joey Heisman.' After the season, he cut up the billboard and sold pieces for charity.
Stat
4th in Heisman Voting (2001)
Finished 4th behind Eric Crouch (Nebraska), Rex Grossman (Florida), and Ken Dorsey (Miami). Oregon's first serious Heisman contender of the modern era.
Game
Fiesta Bowl: 350 Yards, 4 TDs
Oregon 38, Colorado 16. Harrington threw for 350 yards and 4 TDs, including a 79-yard bomb to Samie Parker that tied the Fiesta Bowl record. Oregon scored 38 consecutive points after Colorado's opening TD. Named Offensive Player of the Game.
Game
56-55 Double OT at Arizona State (2000)
434 passing yards and 6 TDs in a 56-55 double-overtime road win. One of the wildest games in Oregon history.
Record
6 Comeback Wins, 11-2 When Trailing in 4th Quarter
Harrington was 11-2 in games where Oregon trailed or was tied in the 4th quarter. The 'Captain Comeback' nickname was earned on the field, not in a marketing meeting.
Stat
Career: 6,911 Yards, 59 TDs, 23 INTs
Career passing totals across three seasons as starter. Led Oregon to its first 11-win season (2001), first BCS bowl win, and first #2 final ranking.
Fact
Still in Portland
Lives in Portland. Founder of the Harrington Family Foundation (college scholarships). Investor in Portland Thorns FC. Inducted into Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
Sources: Sports Reference, GoDucks.com, Oregon Athletics archives
What do you remember about the Harrington era?
you hear it building...
end of the third quarter...
54,000 on their feet
AUTZEN IS SHAKING
SCO DUCKS
Built by fans who were there.
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