Colt Lyerla

Colt Keliikoa Lyerla (born November 13, 1992) is an American college football player. A native of Oregon, he is a tight end at the University of Oregon for the Ducks. He was born and raised mainly in the Portland metropolitan area and joined the Ducks for the 2011 season.

Early life
Lyerla was born in Hillsboro, Oregon, on November 13, 1992, to Roger and Tammy Lyerla, with the family later moving to Hawaii and then Vancouver, Washington. His parents divorced in 2001, and he moved to Gladstone, Oregon, before moving back to Hillsboro in 2003. In Hillsboro, he attended Hillsboro High School where he played both football and basketball for the Spartans. On the football team he played both ways as a running back on offense and linebacker on defense, winning a state championship in 2009. During the 2009 season he caught a Hail Mary pass at the end of the game against rival Glencoe High School to win the game, with the play making ESPN's SportsCenter as the play of the week. The next year as a senior, he rushed for 1,519 yards on 133 carries and was selected as a first team all-state selection by The Oregonian as a running back, and second team as a linebacker. Lyerla was recruited by teams such as the Southern California Trojans and the California Bears, but committed to the University of Oregon while at the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

College
Lyerla graduated early from high school and enrolled at Oregon in the spring of 2011 so he could take part in spring practices. As a true freshman for the 2011 season, he played tight end and caught 7 passes for 147 yards and 5 touchdowns. For the 2012 season, Lyerla earned the starting tight end position, and part-way into the season also saw playing time at the running back position.