Nate Costa
Biographical details
Born (1988-05-15) May 15, 1988 (age 35)
Turlock, California, U.S.
Playing career
2006–2010Oregon
Position(s)Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2013–2015Oregon (GA)
2017IMG Academy (OC/QB)
2018UCLA (OA)
2019–2021Oregon (OA)
2022Nevada (QBs)

Nate Costa (born May 15, 1988) played quarterback at the University of Oregon from 2006 to 2010 and was a team captain of the 2010 Oregon Ducks football team. After coaching stops at the University of Oregon and IMG Academy, he was the Quarterback's Coach at University of Nevada for one season before resigning 11 days before the first game of his second season.

Early years

Born in 1988 in Turlock, California, Costa grew up in nearby Hilmar, California. He attended Hilmar High School, where he played quarterback for the football team. As a junior, he had 2,200 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air while rushing for 700 yards and six touchdowns.[1] In his senior year, Costa threw for 2,252 yards and 15 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,709 yards and 18 touchdowns, for a total of 33 touchdowns and 3,961 yards of total offense. He received all-state honors for three consecutive years, and as a senior was selected as the Central Valley player of the year.[2]

Costa was rated by rivals.com as the No. 19 dual-threat quarterback in the country in the recruiting class of 2006.[3] He received scholarship offers from the University of Oregon, University of Iowa, Colorado State University, University of Utah, and Boise State University.[1] Costa committed to Oregon in August 2005, before the start of his senior season.[4]

Playing career

Costa enrolled at the University of Oregon in 2006 and played Quarterback for the Oregon Ducks football team from 2006 to 2010.

2006 season

As a true freshman in 2006, he appeared in games against Portland State and USC. He completed all three of his pass attempts against Portland State for 51 yards. Against USC, he completed two passes in two attempts for 22 yards and also rushed for 39 yards on seven carries.[2]

2007 season

As a sophomore in 2007, Costa suffered a tear to knee ligaments and did not see action as a redshirt.

2008 season

In 2008, Costa was named the Ducks' starting quarterback in the preseason. However, he sustained torn knee ligaments two weeks before the season opener. He underwent the second knee surgery of his college career in the fall of 2008.[2][5][6]

2009 & 2010 seasons

Costa returned from the injuries and became a key player on Oregon's 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 Conference championship teams.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] He also played a pivotal role in helping the Oregon Ducks reach the Rose Bowl in 2010. During his time at Oregon, he suffered multiple knee injuries which hindered his development as a player. He is well known by the national media as a player who refused to give up on his dream and battled back from injury multiple times.[17][18][19][20] In 2009 and 2010, he was elected to the Pac-10 All-Academic team. In 2010, he was chosen as a recipient for the Wil Gonyea Award for the Most Inspirational Player on the team.[2][8][21][22] In week 12 of the 2010 season, he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. In a game against the Arizona Wildcats, Oregon needed a win to keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive.[23] The Ducks mounted a comeback and scored a touchdown to bring the game within 1 point. The snap on the extra point was bad, but Costa recovered quickly and got the ball placed, allowing Morgan Flint to convert the game-tying kick. The Ducks won in overtime. Costa was the first player to ever win the award solely for his work as a holder.

Costa's playing career came to an end in November 2010 when he suffered a knee injury upon being tackled in the third quarter of a 53–16 home win over Washington.[24][25][26][27][28] Despite the injury, Costa suited up for and hoped to play in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.[29][30][31] Prior to the game, Oregon coach Chip Kelly noted:

"Nate was one of the real leaders of our football team ... He has been rehabbing just like he has done everything in his life, full speed. He is just a great role model for all of our players. ... To have three (ACL injuries), I don't know who would bounce back from that. ... He is a great person where I can point to some young people in our teams that may be down in the dumps or have a sniffle and say, hey, look at him, look how he approaches life. He has been fantastic. We are here because of our leadership, and Nate's one of our best leaders."[29]

When Costa took the field in prior to the national championship game, his appearance resulted in the first loud ovation from Oregon fans. Although he did not play in the game, Costa said, "Just having the opportunity to be with those guys one last time made everything worth it. It's so tough saying goodbye for the last time. I shed a couple tears, not for me, but because this is the last time that I'll be around these guys."[32] The Portland Tribune called Costa "the heart and soul" of the 2010 team that advanced to the national championship game.[33]

Later years

Following his playing career, Costa became a television sports analyst for Comcast SportsNet Northwest in Portland, Oregon.[21]

Coaching career

Oregon Ducks (2013-2015)

In February of 2013, he joined the Oregon Ducks football coaching staff as an Offensive Graduate Assistant coach. Costa primarily worked with the team's Wide Receivers, but he also assisted with the coaching of the Quarterbacks.

2013 Season

In his first year of coaching the Ducks football team completed an overall record of 11-2, defeating the University of Texas in the 2013 Alamo Bowl.

2014 Season

In Costa's second year of coaching, Oregon beat the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 Championship Game to claim the conference title. This victory resulted in a berth into the inaugural College Football Playoff where Oregon was set to face the Florida State University Seminoles in the Rose Bowl. Oregon was victorious in this game and it catapulted them into National Championship game where they would face off against the Ohio State University Buckeyes. OSU would go on to win the game. The Ducks ended the season with a 13-2 overall record.

2015 Season

In his third year of coaching with the Ducks, the team compiled an overall record of 9-4. The team earned an invite to the 2016 Alamo Bowl where they were defeated by the TCU Horned Frogs by a score of 47 to 41.

IMG Academy (2017)

In January of 2017, he joined the IMG Academy Ascenders football team as the Offensive Coordinator & QBs Coach.

2017 Season

During the 2017 season the IMG Academy Ascenders completed an undefeated season, winning all 8 of their contests. The team finished the year as the #2 team nationally as ranked by USA Today.[34]

2018 Season

During the 2018 season the Bruins compiled an overall record of 3-9, which included a victory over the USC Trojans in the Victory Bell rivalry game.

2019

In May 2019 Costa returned to Oregon as an offensive analyst.[35]

Football Camps

During the summer Costa participates in football camps in his hometown of Hilmar, CA.[36]

References

[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]

  1. ^ a b "Nathan Costa recruiting profile". scout.com. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d "Nate Costa Bio". University of Oregon. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  3. ^ "Nathan Costa recruiting profile". rivals.com. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  4. ^ Allen Wallace (August 6, 2005). "QB Nathan Costa: Small Town Hero Chooses Ducks!". Scout.com. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  5. ^ Curtis Anderson (August 22, 2008). "Costa injures knee, sits out practice as he awaits word". The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon).
  6. ^ Ron Agostini (October 31, 2008). "Costa won't label self hard-luck case". The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California). Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  7. ^ Brian VanderBeek (March 16, 2010). "Is Hilmar's Costa primed to take Oregon QB reins?". The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California). Archived from the original on April 3, 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Costa Likely To Start Against UCLA". The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California). October 7, 2009.
  9. ^ Chris Courtney (October 9, 2010). "Cool, Calm, Costa Helps Cruise Ducks To Win". eDuck Sports. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  10. ^ "Oregon Turns Practice Into Nonstop Sprint With Precision as Goal". The New York Times. October 1, 2010.
  11. ^ Stephen Alexander (September 21, 2010). "'Happy' Nate Costa still in the wings for Oregon Ducks". Portland Tribune (Portland, Oregon).[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Nate Costa named starting QB for the Ducks". Associated Press. August 15, 2009. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  13. ^ Rob Moseley. "An interview with Nate Costa: Highlights from a Q&A session he participated in this morning". The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon). Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  14. ^ "Costa at Oregon football helm". The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California). March 30, 2010. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  15. ^ Greg Beacham (October 11, 2009). "Hilmar grad Costa gets 1st start for Oregon, helps Ducks remain perfect in Pac-10". The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California) (Associated Press story). Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  16. ^ Jeff Smith (October 7, 2009). "Oregon-UCLA: Quarterback Nate Costa's 'long, long' journey leads to Rose Bowl opportunity". The Oregonian (Portland Oregon). Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  17. ^ Ted Miller (November 9, 2010). "QB Costa's career over at Oregon". ESPN. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  18. ^ "Ducks backup QB out for season". Fox Sports (Associated Press). November 9, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  19. ^ Matt Hayes (April 12, 2010). "Overshadowed by Masoli, good guy Costa gets second chance". The Sporting News. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  20. ^ Rachel Bachman (December 25, 2010). "Nate Costa: Ducks injured quarterback completes a heart-breaking journey without regret". The Oregonian (Portland Oregon). Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  21. ^ a b Stefan Verbano (September 9, 2011). "Injuries push Costa off police force: Knee problems that ended his Duck football days also put a stop to a career with Springfield police". The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon).
  22. ^ Jason Vondersmith (October 9, 2010). "DUCKS NOTES: Super sub QB Costa does it again vs. Cougs: Two relief stints against WSU, two wins". Portland Tribune (Portland, Oregon). Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  23. ^ "Oregon-Arizona rife with Rose Bowl implications". ESPN. November 20, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  24. ^ "Nate Costa needs knee surgery". ESPN. November 9, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  25. ^ Jason Vondersmith (November 7, 2010). "Chip Kelly: No word on Nate Costa, no talk of who/how to replace him". Portland Tribune (Portland, Oregon).[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ "Nate Costa's career over at Oregon". Portland Tribune (Portland, Oregon). November 9, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  27. ^ Anne M. Peterson (November 10, 2010). "Costa's college career over: Injury ends playing days at Oregon". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved October 2, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ John Hunt (November 6, 2010). "Oregon football: Nate Costa's injury casts pall on Ducks' victory". The Oregonian (Portland Oregon). Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  29. ^ a b Aaron Fentress (January 10, 2011). "BCS National Championship: Nate Costa will suit up, but likely won't play". The Oregonian (Portland Oregon). Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  30. ^ John Hunt (January 3, 2011). "BCS National Championship: Nate Costa takes the field". The Oregonian (Portland Oregon). Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  31. ^ Jason Vondersmith (January 8, 2011). "UO NOTES: Nate Costa back on the practice field". Portland Tribune (Portland, Oregon).[permanent dead link]
  32. ^ Jeff Smith (January 11, 2011). "In the end, Oregon's players soak up scene". Mail Tribune (Medford, Oregon). Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  33. ^ Jason Vondersmith (January 13, 2011). "Ducks: 'We'll be back': Ducks' disappointment at the end doesn't dampen the spirit of fans who followed this season's magic". Portland Tribune (Portland, Oregon). Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  34. ^ "Super 25 Boys Football Computer Rankings | USA TODAY High School Sports". October 22, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  35. ^ @BruceFeldmanCFB (May 8, 2019). "SOURCE: #UCLA analyst Nate Costa is returning to his alma mater #Oregon to become an offensive analyst. The former…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "Former Oregon QB Nate Costa gives high school hopefuls tools to succeed". modbee. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  37. ^ "Dinged-up Ducks survive Washington State – NCAA Football – Sporting News". Aol.sportingnews.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  38. ^ Martin Stadium, PULLMAN, WA (October 9, 2010). "Oregon Ducks vs. Washington State Cougars – Recap – October 9, 2010 – ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ "Duck Hunt: Thomas and Barner dinged up for Oregon | CollegeFootballTalk". Collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com. October 9, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  40. ^ "Ducks no closer to naming new QB | CollegeFootballTalk". Collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  41. ^ "Oregon Ducks name Darron Thomas as starting QB – ESPN". ESPN. August 27, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  42. ^ Autzen Stadium, EUGENE, OR (October 21, 2010). "UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks – Recap – October 21, 2010 – ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ Autzen Stadium, EUGENE, OR (November 6, 2010). "Washington Huskies vs. Oregon Ducks – Recap – November 6, 2010 – ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  44. ^ "Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is practicing with the Oregon Ducks despite a season-long suspension – ESPN". ESPN. March 30, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  45. ^ Associated Press Text size A A A. "Pac-10 expecting season of parity – NCAA Football – Sporting News". Aol.sportingnews.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  46. ^ "Scout.com: Ducks Spring Game Celebrates Military". Usc.scout.com. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  47. ^ Autzen Stadium, EUGENE, OR (September 4, 2010). "New Mexico Lobos vs. Oregon Ducks – Preview – September 4, 2010 – ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Nate Costa set to become new Quarterbacks coach. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/2021/12/22/oregons-nate-costa-set-to-become-new-qb-coach-with-nevada-wolfpack/
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