Oregon legend Haloti Ngata named greatest No. 96 in history

Oregon legend Haloti Ngata was named ESPN’s greatest player ever to wear No. 96, a ranking tied to the outlet’s project released Thursday covering the best player for each college jersey number in history. Ngata, a defensive lineman who dominated Oregon’s interior line in the early 2000s, earned consensus All-American status and was Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. ESPN cited his production and accolades, noting 151 tackles at Oregon, including 24.5 tackles for loss, and that he became the first defensive lineman in 18 seasons to win Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. His Oregon career ended with 10 sacks and three forced fumbles, plus seven blocked kicks on special teams. ESPN also mentioned his size—6-foot-5 and 338 pounds—and that he entered Oregon’s athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. The article says Ngata was the only Oregon player selected, as QB Marcus Mariota lost out for No. 8 to Davey O’Brien.