![Phil Knight on the field at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. (Photo: Tim Healy)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_728,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F375171c4-b8f8-4495-8d1e-3c95f2756050_2188x1456.png)
The first time I saw Phil Knight come out of the University of Oregon football locker room he was holding the game ball.
This was 20 football seasons ago — in 2003.
Knight was in his mid-60s then. The Ducks had just upset No. 3-ranked Michigan at Autzen Stadium 31-27. The Nike founder slipped out of the locker room and stepped into coach Mike Bellotti’s post-game news conference with the football still tucked under his arm.
Oregon beat Cal 63-19 on Saturday.