Befitting an athlete that has risen to the heights he has in just the last year, Oregon two-sport athlete and Eugene native Bryce Boettcher was in the weight room doing a lift with the football team when his agent called him in the middle of the MLB Draft in July.

“You might want to get in a spot where you can turn the TV on,” Boettcher said his agent told him.

The Oregon senior and former South Eugene High School standout was quickly given associate strength and conditioning coach Taylor Porter’s blessing to leave the lift early to track down his family and a TV to watch the last day of the draft after a terrific final baseball season this past spring.

Just as Boettcher arrived in the living room with his girlfriend, his agent called again.

“The Astros are going to take you in about five minutes, so get ready.”

The former double walk-on and two-sport standout at Oregon in both football and baseball was selected in the 13^th round of the MLB Draft by the Houston Astros, fulfilling a life-long dream of Boettcher’s that isn’t a surprise for anyone that knows him.

“I’m so proud that all of his hard work is starting to show up,” football teammate and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa said. “He’s doing everything that he said he wanted to do. Especially with the opportunity that he was given. He had to really grind it out and work for it. I’m proud of the way he that he attacks everything … he kept his word. He’s creating a legacy for himself with creating his story.”

By now, almost all who live in Eugene know Boettcher’s story. A three-star dual-threat quarterback coming out of South Eugene and top-10 ranked baseball prospect in the state, Boettcher ultimately chose to pursue baseball at the collegiate level first for the university he grew up watching. Since the beginning, though, Boettcher vowed he would also play football at UO.

He kept true to his word in 2022, trying out for the football team and becoming a double walk-on for both football and baseball.

In 2023, Boettcher enjoyed a breakout season on both the gridiron and diamond. Boettcher appeared in all 14 games for the football team in the fall, finishing fifth on the team in total tackles with 37 while making his first career start against Portland State to open the season.

In the spring, Boettcher hit .276 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs, and a team-high 46 runs scored while being named to the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team as an outfielder.

After all that, with one season of football eligibility remaining, Boettcher is delaying his professional baseball career to dance one last time with his hometown school this fall.

Though Boettcher admitted he prefers to look ahead more than the past, his mom reminded him about his journey heading into his final football season this fall.

“Obviously, you want to smell the roses but I’m always on to the next thing in my life. I like to keep my head down and work hard and try to keep accomplishing things, but it was nice of her to say that to me.”

Once Boettcher wraps up his football playing career this fall, he’ll report to the Astros in the spring to begin playing baseball. But right now, he’s focused on the task at hand.

“I’ve been itching for some contact,” Boettcher said with a smile at Oregon’s media day, just two days before fall camp.

That attitude is what’s kept Boettcher in the mix, despite splitting his time between two different, and very competitive programs at Oregon. The senior missed most of the Ducks' spring football practices, including its spring game, but feels fine and ready to go despite the ground he might have given up to players solely focused on football.

“I’m down in the depth chart, I’m not a one in football and I wasn’t a one in baseball to start the year,” Boettcher said. “Every year it’s been like that. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, I always have something to prove. That’s honestly when I’m the most comfortable when I have something to prove. I’m pumped to show everyone that I’m going to be that one and I’m excited to get the season rolling.”

Two years ago, when Oregon football coach Dan Lanning first took over in Eugene, Bassa recalled Boettcher – fresh off just making the team from his tryout – almost getting kicked out of practices for going too hard and hitting people without pads.

Just before fall camp began this season, Boettcher told Bassa and the Oregon coaches that he was ready to put on pads on day one.

“Bryce is a guy who’s always working,” Bassa said. “He has that farmer’s mentality. He wants to attack everything … When he’s on the field and his opportunity is called, he’s always a guy that’s going to show up for those opportunities.”

While he is getting ready for one last ride with the football team, Boettcher has taken some moments to reflect on his remarkable journey at Oregon, whether with his mom during breakfast or with his teammates during a lift.

He’s come so far since starring at South Eugene, but said that this season, and the ones to come, are far from the finish line.

“It was unbelievable,” Boettcher said of getting drafted. “It was a great feeling. All your hard work coming to fruition, especially with where I was at this year … but it’s just the beginning. I still have a long road ahead to put in the work and get to the big leagues and become a hall of famer. It’s just the beginning.”

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: MLB Draft pick Bryce Boettcher to play last season of football at UO