Dan Lanning explains origin of Oregon's new 'Heroes' uniform designed by wife

Oregon is well-known for their notable uniforms. However, the ones that they’ll be wearing tonight won’t only look good but will also have a special meaning behind them for many, including Dan Lanning.

Lanning joined ‘SportsCenter’ on Friday and discussed the unis that the Ducks will don tonight against Michigan State. Lanning’s wife, Sauphia, is a survivor of osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, and has been cancer free for seven years, with that, Nike reached out to come up with something special to honor her as well as all other past, current, or future patients.

The meaning behind the design. #StompOutCancer

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— GoDucks (@GoDucks) September 29, 2024

“My wife is a cancer survivor. Early on in our process getting here, Nike reached out and said, hey, we’d love to collaborate with you and see if you can help us design something really cool for, you know, cancer survivors and cancer awareness,” said Lanning. “This is something that obviously speaks near and dear to our hearts but also to everybody that’s been affected by cancer.”

Oregon tweeted out a video of the process of the Lannings creating the uniforms a few days ago.

The ‘Heroes’ uniform, which are meant to ‘Stomp Out Cancer’, has a lot in its design. Part of that is turning the team’s logo into a cancer ribbon. It also comes with a tagline of ‘Flight + Fight’. All of it was in order to represent those who are battling cancer but also those who are aiding in those fights.

“The Lanning family feels totally indebted. Sauphia is certainly like, ‘I want to thank everybody. Those are my heroes – the doctors, the nurses,” said Todd Van Horne, Chief Creator at Van Horne Brands. “That’s what heroes represents.”

Sauphia Lanning and their three boys brought this look to life for Oregon. Lanning had some final say of his own but, overall, he left it to his family and those who put these together in Eugene.

“Sauphia did a great job with the help of our boys of creating something that’s really cool,” Lanning said.

“I got just the veto power in the end of, okay, that’s not too loud, we can do that. It was really their process,” Lanning said. “Todd Van Horne, his team, Nike, Brent Braden. Our equipment manager, Kenny Farr. There’s a bunch of people involved that really all made this possible.”

Oregon will be battling the Spartans on the field in these uniforms later tonight. However, it’ll also be a way for them to represent those who battle cancer each and every day.

“This is beyond, like, what I would have envisoned for this whole series and it’s such a great cause. So we’re very grateful,” Sauphia Lanning said.

“Excited to see what it looks like tonight,” said Coach Lanning.