Thursday officially ushered in the 2016 Pac-12 football season, but Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich was thinking of another sport. 

More specifically, he couldn't help but be excited for one of his players - Devon Allen - as he gets ready to pursue his Olympic dream in Rio. 

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"A great story....the guy's never lost a big race, and being the second fastest guy in the world in that discipline is exciting for all of us." 

Devon made the Ducks proud last week, posting a time of 13.03 in the 110-meter hurdles to secure his spot in the 2016 Olympics, a dream he's had for a long time. 

"I remember sitting in his living room in the recruiting process talking about the distinct, viable, tangible possibility of playing in the NFL and participating in the Olympic Games," Helfrich said. "From day one the guy had a plan, and a willingness and desire to see it through has just been unbelievable." 

[Related Oregon's Devon Allen captures Pac-12 titles in 110M hurdles, 200M ]

Even better for Allen? He got to make this dream come true on his home turf, as the U.S. Olympic trials were held at Hayward Field in Eugene. 

Helfrich said he was thrilled "to see his family react, and his teammates, and his coaches and everybody crying and excited for him."

Bringing it back to Media Days, what does this mean for Allen's football play in the Fall?

"We'll give him a couple days off," Helfrich clarified. "He and our strength coach Jim Radcliffe obviously have a good excuse, and we've already made adjustments for that. 

"As for his long-term future, it's to be determined. His focus, and our focus, is him winning the gold medal. And we'll figure it out from there."