​A local police officer and former Duck player will be recognized with a prestigious award on the Autzen field.Springfield Police Officer Allan Amundson is the recipient of the 2026 Leo Harris Award. Amundson is a school resource officer at Thurston High School and has been with SPD for more than 20 years. He is a graduate of University of Oregon, earning a bachelor’s in psychology in 2003.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAmundson said when he got the call about the Leo Harris Award, he was half-convinced it was a scam. It wasn’t until the person on the other line mentioned Beth Campbell, who works in the UO athletic department, that he realized it was the real deal.”I’m just shocked,” Amundson said. “There’s so many awesome athletes and people doing amazing things. I’m just honored to be a part of it.”Amundson, who played as a return specialist and running back at Oregon from 1999-2002, ranks fourth all-time in program history with 1,680 kick return yards and also tallied 520 rushing yards over four seasons with four touchdowns. Amundson helped the Ducks to wins in the 1999 Sun Bowl, 2000 Holiday Bowl and 2002 Fiesta Bowl and is a member of the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 2001 football team. He also ran track at Oregon.The Leo Harris Award is more than a Duck alum’s time on the field; it’s all about recognizing those who have demonstrated 20 years of outstanding achievement and service since their final varsity season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAmundson moved around a lot in his childhood, but spent much of his youth in Marin County north of San Francisco. He played football and track in high school and always aspired to attend a Division I college. Initially, he leaned toward San Jose State, which was close to home and had a highly rated criminal justice program.But in 1999, he accepted a spot on the Oregon team. He was quickly grouped in with running backs, which was his preferred position. While at Oregon, Amundson was a backup running back and the primary return specialist.”It was just an amazing experience to play at Autzen,” Amundson said. “I feel like they’re the best fans in the world.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAmundson got injured early on in his freshman year at Oregon, resulting in a surgery that took him out of most of that first season.Coming back after an injury the season before, Allan Amundson participates in early fall drills on August 4, 2000.A career in law enforcement was always Amundson’s dream.He interned at SPD while he was still at UO. Amundson recalled being immediately taken with the job, looking up to the officers he shadowed.”I figured, before I get into this career, I should see what it’s like. I mean — it can’t be as cool as it looks on TV, you know?” Amundson remembered thinking. “This is what I want to do. I can’t believe these guys get paid to do this. I need to do this. This is my calling.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut after graduating, he was pick