In 2023, Oregon senior offensive lineman George Silva played in seven games and helped their offense reach national prominence (Amanda Scurlock/L.A. Sentinel)

Oregon senior offensive lineman George Silva is a member of one of the strongest offensive lines in college football. He helped the Ducks to a 13-1 overall record in the 2024 season.

Being an offensive lineman not only takes physical effort, but mental toughness, according to Silva.

“You got to be unselfish because you don’t get a lot of attention playing offensive lineman. The only time you get attention is when you gave a sack,” he said. “You got to be super focused, you got to be smart too.”

During the 2023 season, the Ducks offensive line led the nation in fewest sacks allowed with five.

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“Offensive linemen is really important to the team because it takes a lot of adversity,” Silva said. “Trying to stop a 260-pound man is not easy.”

Silva, a native of Torrence, mainly focused on competing on the boy’s basketball team at La Habra High School. By his freshman year at Fullerton College, Silva was competing in both football and basketball.

“When I played football, it was weird … so it was a lot of learning,” he said. “Lots of stuff I didn’t know.”

The 2023 season was his first season with the Ducks; Silva played in seven games, including the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl vs Liberty. He played at left tackle and also saw playing time on special teams. Silva maintained the mindset of being a starter although he was not one.

“Playing [offensive] line, there’s a lot of injuries, it helped me prepare. Make sure I’m prepared no matter what,” Silva said. “Even though I may not be a starter, still prepare like I am a starter so if I do go in there, it’s no drop-off.”

As a student athlete at Oregon, the coaches ensure that players get their degrees, according to Silva.

“It helped me become a better student,” Silva said. “The training that we do here is second to none. We train our butts off year-round.”

Silva is majoring in social science. As a former junior college student, he had to get adjusted to the media attention that comes along with college football. Yet, those experiences have taught him to be more vocal and to be more comfortable showing off his personality.

Through the Oregon football team, Silva had a chance to give back to the community over the summer.

“We came together as a team and we all had a hand in building beds for kids with no beds,” Silva said. “We do stuff like that, that’s benefiting to the community.”