11/15/2017 football Edit

Senior Week: Villamin set for his final game in Reser

Villamin’s journey at Oregon State is one that he will never forget (AP)

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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October 16th, 2014. That’s when the player known as Villy burst onto the scene at Reser Stadium.

On a mid-October night in Corvallis several years ago, Beaver Nation was introduced to the player that they know as Jordan Villamin.

Due to an injury to former receiver Richard Mullaney, a redshirt freshman from California was asked to start at split end for head coach Mike Riley as the Beavers were taking on the 20th ranked Utah Utes in a nationally televised Thursday night matchup.

Jordan Villamin had played prior to the Utah game in 2014, but against Utah was when Villamin brought the magic. He finished with three receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

It was after that game, when Beaver fans began to salivate over Villamin’s potential. Listed at 6-foot-5 225-pounds, Villamin has the body to compete at the highest level of football. However, inconsistency has plagued Villamin since that freshman campaign.

Since then, Villamin had several different starting quarterbacks and multiple offensive coordinators in four seasons and has struggled to grow rapport with any of them. Based on statistics, the only one who he appeared to have good chemistry with was former quarterback and current receiver Seth Collins.

With Collins under center for most of 2015, Villamin had his most productive season as a Beaver as he snagged 43 catches for 660 yards and five touchdowns. In 2016 and 2017, his statistics have took a deep dive, and so has the Beavers success. Since winning five games his freshman season, the Beavers have won just seven since.

With Villamin finishing up his last few games at Reser Stadium, he’s felt that he’s grown up a ton as a person and a football player since that October night in 2014.

“I’ve grown up a lot,” Villamin said. “I feel like I’m a lot more mature and I understand the aspects of life and college football more. I’m not as naive and don’t have the deer in the headlights look anymore. I’m more in-tuned with seeing both the good and the bad now.”

With Saturday being the last time that Villamin will play at Reser Stadium, he sees it as the last time that his mom will see him play in Corvallis.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Villamin said. “It’s more like, it’s the last time that my mom will see me play. It’s slowly, but surely hitting me so it’s getting bittersweet.”

Despite not finishing his college career the way that he had hoped, Villamin keeps an upbeat and positive attitude throughout the whole process.

“It’s gonna be really tough,” Villamin said. “I’m just trying to leave a legacy as a good player and a good teammate. I just want to do the right thing all of the time. I don’t want to have any enemies. I’m just trying to be Villy. Everybody loves Villy and that’s the legacy that I’m trying to leave behind."