COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : UCLA : Oregon Tight End a Former Swimmer

Before Oregon tight end Jeff Thomason graduated from Corona del Mar High School, he was recruited by Arizona and USC--as a swimmer.

Thomason was ranked among the top 30 in the nation in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.

“When I was young, I wanted to swim at UCLA, but they said they couldn’t offer me a scholarship,” Thomason said. So, Thomason will play football against UCLA, instead, on Saturday at Eugene, Ore.

Thomason, a 6-foot-4, 229-pound junior, is Oregon’s leading receiver, having caught 30 passes for 396 yards and six touchdowns.