On Thursday, former Oregon quarterback Nate Costa announced on CSNW's Talkin' Ball that he is joining the University of Oregon coaching staff as a graduate assistant.
Costa joined the Ducks back in 2006, and he looked like he would become an extremely successful quarterback in Eugene. But his career was constantly derailed by injury, and he ultimately never reached stardom on the field. Nevertheless, he was always a fan favorite.
If you ask anyone who spent time on the team with Costa from 2006-2010, though, they would most likely tell you countless stories about his leadership. Even after losing the competition for the starting QB spot to Darron Thomas in 2010, Costa's senior season, he was a constant motivator in the Oregon locker room.
But even a backup role didn't prevent Costa from getting injured again, as his career came to an end after he ran down a bad snap on a field goal try and was tackled awkwardly.
During the team's senior game - against Arizona - in 2010, Costa received the loudest ovation from fans prior to the start of the game. On crutches, he emerged from the team's tunnel and walked to the field to the tune of 45,000+ standing fans.
Costa was also a positive spot on an Oregon team that often found its players in trouble with the law. He even started a career with the Springfield Police Department after his football career ended, but that, too, came to an end after his knee injury prevented him from basic duties as a police officer.
After that, Costa worked as a television analyst for Oregon football games.
"It's been a long road to what I want to do," Costa said on Talkin' Ball. "I loved the TV work, but I missed the competition factor. And I really like watching young players develop and improve. I'm so excited about this opportunity to get into coaching."
It seems a natural fit for Costa to enter the coaching ranks, and you can bet that he'll be a household name before his career comes to an end.
Oregon has not officially made an announcement regarding Costa, whose role on the coaching staff is also yet to be made public.
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