Canzano: Oregon Ducks go with winning combination

A personal message on display vs. Michigan State.

Oregon’s “Heroes” uniforms will be worn on Friday. (Photos: Oregon)

A couple of seasons ago, during Oregon’s bye week, I got an unexpected call from Ducks’ football coach Dan Lanning.

“You’re on speakerphone,” he warned me.

The Lanning family was in the car on the way to take a family photo for their first Christmas card in Eugene. Sauphia, his wife, got on the phone and joked that it was the only time she could get her husband to wear a wardrobe she coordinated.

On Friday, his entire team will do it.

The Ducks will wear uniforms against Michigan State that were designed by Sauphia and their three boys — Caden, Kniles, and Titan. The fingerprints of the Lanning family and Sauphia’s struggle with cancer will be all over the field on Friday.

Seven years ago, Sauphia went to the doctor after suffering from knee pain. Doctors discovered a tumor the size of a golf ball in her left leg.

“Osteosarcoma,” they said.

It’s a rare, aggressive form of bone cancer. She was 28. What came next were rounds of chemotherapy, radiation treatment, surgery, and a painful recovery. The first time I spoke with Dan Lanning after he was hired in Eugene, we talked about how watching his wife endure shaped him as a person.

Lanning told me: “There’s a lot of things in life that are more important than football. That’s the first thing I learned. That helped re-prioritize my life and really the whole dynamic of our family where I was able to put my wife and kids first.”

The Ducks do some wild things with uniforms. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve noted this season, they appear to be intentional about wearing more traditional school colors. But on Friday, they’ll wear the most meaningful design ever.

The uniform design is named “Heroes.”

It’s a love letter from the Lanning family aimed at thanking medical providers who help those afflicted with cancer. The base uniform color is yellow, a nod to the hue associated with osteosarcoma.

Kniles, the middle son, designed the sleeve patch. Titan, the youngest, is the brainchild of the multi-colored panel on the cleats, correlating with all forms of cancer. And Caden, the oldest Lanning son, came up with a terrific idea. He suggested the use of an ice cream cone somewhere on the uniform. That treat is what the family used to lift its spirits on the way home after Sauphia’s chemotherapy sessions.

The twist on the “O” logo?

That was Sauphia’s idea. She pulled out a pencil and sketched it on the plane last December on the way to the Holiday Bowl. It incorporates a ribbon and the words “Take Flight + Fight.”

Sauphia Lanning, with Caden, Kniles, and Titan. (Photo: University of Oregon)

The Lanning family was living in Memphis when Sauphia was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. She underwent treatment at a local hospital. Dan worked as a full-time assistant under Mike Norvell. There was a lot of uncertainty swirling about.

Beating cancer is a big deal.

The hospital in Memphis celebrates by having cancer-free patients ring a ceremonial bell on a third-story patio. Sauphia did exactly that after her treatments. Then, she hugged the doctors and nurses, thanking them personally. Now, she gets a chance to do it for cancer survivors everywhere.

Part of the uniform design — a bell, of course.

When Dan Lanning got the job at Oregon, I visited with his parents, Don and Janis, and wrote a column about his upbringing. They were both school teachers and raised their kids on 5.5 acres in rural Missouri.

Hard work.

Values.

Priorities.

As parents, you do your best to raise children and help them understand what’s important in life. Then, you send them into the world, hope they are listening, and watch them figure some of it out themselves.

I posted that column quoting Dan Lanning as saying there were more important things than football. Can you imagine how talk like that would fly in SEC country? It works just fine in Eugene, though. And I wasn’t surprised to see his father, Don, pop up in the comment section with a note.

He wrote:

This is the son we raised. He is an honest, loving, sincere man. A great husband, dad, son, and coach (I think being a coach incorporates skills from all those areas.) His word is true and reliable. When he says he loves you, he means it in the truest sense. His priorities in life are family/people-centered. There’s no one I’d rather have in my corner. The University of Oregon is blessed to have him, and I know he feels blessed to be there. I do expect there to be great success on the football field, but the greatest successes will be the relationships he makes and the men he builds. Thank you for this thoughtful article. Our entire family in Missouri looks forward to many, many years of being passionate Duck fans. — Don Lanning

We’ve always known the Oregon head football coaches. They’ve made public appearances, coached football games, and lived a high-profile existence. It comes with the territory. But this era feels a little different. Getting to know Sauphia and those three kids adds depth and layers, doesn’t it?

Dan Lanning celebrates with his family after the Boise State win. (Photos: Naji Saker)

I wrote in last Saturday night’s column that our culture loves firsts.

First… kiss.

First… steps.

First… day of school.

The Ducks beat UCLA in the first conference game of the Big Ten era in Pasadena, then flew home to Eugene. Friday night will be the first Big Ten game at Autzen Stadium. But I find myself focused today on Oregon’s uniforms and the first ultra-personal glimpse into the family behind them.

Anyone up for an ice cream cone?

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