At Oregon, he was 44 on the field.

After a seven-year career in the NFL with the Tennesse Titans, it’s now The 4|4 with Peter Sirmon.

This week, OneClickSportsNews is proud is introduce a new weekly feature and contributor to DuckSportsNews, The 4|4 with Peter Sirmon. Every week throughout the second half of the football season, Peter will answer four questions asked by visitors to DuckSportsNews.com.

The Walla Walla, Washington native was a four-year letterman with the Ducks from 1996-1999. He was named first-team All Pac-10 as a Senior and a Sophomore. Peter closed out his career with 16 tackles and a school-record seven tackles for a loss in the 1999 Sun Bowl victory over Minnesota. In the 2000 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round. After playing seven years in the NFL with the Titans, Peter is now retired from football and pursuing a career in real estate in Nashville. He and his wife, Lindsay, live in the Nashville area with their four children.

Now it’s time to kickoff…

1. What does the Oregon-Washington rivalry mean to the players?

While I was at Oregon the biggest game every year for me was the Washington game. The energy in the stadiums was always different for me when we played the Huskies. When I was a senior in high school I attended the Oregon-Washington game that made Kenny Wheaton a household name in the state and eventually catapulted them into the Rose Bowl in 1994. The obvious proximity plays a part and the schools go after a lot of the same recruits.

2. What kind of leadership qualities is Coach Bellotti looking for on the field?

Coach Bellotti and really all coaches are looking for players of high character to build a program around. Players with real character never quit, or give in when the games turn against you or even when some of their fellow players start to criticize. They become the glue of all great teams. It’s just so easy to be a front runner and be enthusiastic and positive when you are winning every game. When you come across tough times in a season is when the true leaders show up and refuse to allow the other players to quit working and preparing. Some of the most respected players are the guys that are not necessarily the stars of the team. Eric Winn (FB 1993-1997)was a great example of that, always working and preparing. He became a player that people really looked up to and followed.

3. How does the defense react after the offense suffers multiple injuries?

The best advice that I could give a defense is that “nothing else matters.” You can’t control the offense so don’t even worry about how they are playing. One thing about Oregon is that they always seem to be able to replace skill position players. Focus on what you can control and basically that is all you can do.

4. Are coaches more effective with or without mustaches?

I’m pretty impartial to facial hair when it comes to coaches. Just as long as they knew my name and my position I felt lucky!

Do you have a question for Peter? If so, go to OneClickSportsNews.com and send Peter your question.

Tags: Bellotti, Football, oregon, Peter Sirmon, University, Washington