Photos courtesy of Jeremy Jackson, class of 2026.
Remembering Quacktavious, the pet duck that captured hearts on campus
Over the past two years, current UO students, recent graduates, and Eugene community members have fallen in love with Quacktavious, the beloved pet duck of Jeremy Jackson, class of 2026.
“He wasn't just mine, he was everyone else's as well. There are so many people who share memories with him,” Jackson said.
On February 20, the world said goodbye to an adored pet, friend, and iconic campus figure. The passing of Quacktavious came as a surprise to everyone, Jackson included. As word spread, heartfelt posts and messages circulated through social media, and a memorial was held on campus to honor the adopted mascot.
While a duck may not be the most conventional pet, life with Quacktavious became Jackson’s norm. He brought the duck almost everywhere and registered him as an emotional support animal.
"Honestly I think I was his emotional support as well,” Jackson said. “There were days where if I rolled over in bed, he was popping up to see if I'm leaving and I'm like, ‘no, I'm not leaving!”
Quacktavious’s fame in Eugene began in the student section of Autzen Stadium. For one of Jackson’s first Oregon football experiences, he said he couldn’t leave his buddy behind.
"It was my first game, and I didn’t really know where to go. I’m walking to one of the entrances with Quacktavious in a clear bag, and there’s some guys scanning tickets. Neither of them saw him [or they thought he was fake]. So, I just walk into the student section and have a seat. People were starting to notice, and a couple of people invited me to come sit with them. It got to the point where we were beating Colorado, so I just decided to lift him up. We kept scoring touchdowns, and I just kept lifting him up.”
Remembering Quacktavious, the beloved pet duck that captured hearts on campus
Jackson, who transferred to the UO from Mississippi State, adopted Quacktavious from a Tractor Supply Co. down in Mississippi. He said the decision to buy a pet duck was a pretty random one. A friend was “duck-sitting” someone’s else’s pet duckling and shared photos with Jackson. After seeing the pictures, the thought of having one for himself wouldn’t leave his mind. Before he knew it, he was on his way to the store.
“I got out of class one day, and I went back to my dorm, and I told my roommate, ‘I’m just going to go get a duck.’ So, I went down the street to Tractor Supply.”
Before his fame at the UO, the duck grew popular on the Mississippi State campus, after the university posted a photo of Quacktavious and Jackson. The comment section blew up. Soon after, Jackson’s phone was blowing up too with people begging him to give Quacktavious a social media presence. After some deliberation, he created an Instagram account for his pet.
A year after adopting Quacktavious, Jackson decided to take his studies and his pet duck to Oregon. Jackson had been fascinated with the UO for a long time, having watched Ducks athletic teams on TV for years and seen images of the beautiful Eugene campus. After being accepted to the university, he and Quacktavious made the nearly 2,500-mile trek to their new home.
“He was my travel buddy . . . It was a 36-hour drive. It gets tiresome, but even though for most of it he was sleeping, he was right there in the front seat the entire time.”
From there, the rest is history. Quacktavious took flight over an excited student section, and that was just the start of the love and excitement the duck spread across campus. Jackson received constant messages about his friend, including one from a former member of the women’s tennis team, Jo-Yee Chan, asking if Quacktavious could make an appearance at their media day. Subsequently, the lacrosse, softball, beach volleyball, and other teams were excited to welcome the duo to take part in their photoshoots.
"Jo-Yee texted me and she's like, ‘hey, can we have Quacktavious in our media day?’ I didn’t see why not and said to just let me know when. We showed up, the pictures got posted, and then from there, that's when it really started spreading like wildfire. Everyone was freaking out.
Jackson said he will remember Quacktavious for the unmatched joy he brought to students on the Eugene campus.
“I know what Quacktavious meant to so many,” Jackson said in an Instagram post. “For some, he was joy. For some, he was peace. For some, he was a nibbler. For a lot of children, he was someone to chase around and feed grass. He was many different things to many different people. It made our day to be able to spend time and speak to so many of you wonderful people. He knew how much he was loved.”
—By Olivia Arciniega, UOAA student associate, class of 2026