Dan Lanning explains Oregon's emotional 'void' following loss of Spencer Webb

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning brought a powerful message with him to the podium at Pac-12 Media Day on Friday. While discussing the changes the team has faced since the end of last season, the former Georgia defensive coordinator noted the void left by the passing of Ducks tight end Spencer Webb two weeks ago.

“One thing that’s certainly changed for us this offseason is our team has a void,” Lanning said. “We’re missing a brother in Spencer Webb who we lost in a tragic accident. We spent a lot of time together as a family, mourned his loss. It’s something you certainly cannot replace.

“I’ve talked to our players about that moment and Spencer, on your tombstone, there’s a day you were born and a day when you passed, but what made Spencer special was how he lived that dash in between those two numbers,” Lanning continued. “We want to live and create a dash that’s meaningful. I think our Get Real sessions have been really beneficial to our team. We finished our summer workouts with a climb up Spencer Butte, which will be an annual tradition to honor him. Our theme this season as we honor Spencer is growth.”

Lanning went on to liken the team’s growth to young bamboo, which grows underground for a long period of time before finally showing itself on the surface.

Ducks grapple with loss of Spencer Webb

Webb was getting ready for his redshirt junior season with the Ducks when he died in a cliff diving accident. The accident occurred July 13 at Triangle Lake in Oregon.

The tight end started three games last year, totaling 13 receptions for 87 yards and a lone touchdown that came against Arizona. He joined the Ducks in 2018, but redshirted that season and then only played one game due to injury during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 campaign. Last season was his first full year since 2019. In 2019, he played in 12 games, totaling 18 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Webb was 22 years old.