The acclaimed 1984 film “Paris, Texas,” directed by Wim Wenders, is a story of redemption. A man reconnects with his family and faces down hard truths in wide open plains.

The film’s namesake — the real Paris — is a city of just under 25,000 in the heart of tornado alley in northeast Texas. There is a 65-foot scale model of the Eiffel Tower with a giant, red cowboy hat hanging from its top. And high school football is a way of life.

Paris is where Oregon Ducks safety Kobe Savage became a man, and where he deepened an already strong connection with his father as football took center stage. Savage is a product of loving co-parents, of resilience, and a unique and challenging football journey.

“It’s a small town, east Texas, it’s real tough,” Savage said. “I feel like to grow up in Paris, Texas, you got to be tough. It’s a lot of country boys, a lot of blue-collar people. I got involved in football early on, and just fell in love with it. Being raised in Sulphur Springs and growing up in Paris, there’s a big football culture there. That’s what influenced me a lot to get into football.”

Savage lived with his mom, Stacey Moore, in Sulphur Springs until seventh grade. He lived with his dad, Da’on Savage, in Paris from that point through the end of high school. Moore said her son valued the time he had with both parents individually, and the change in scenery came at the exact right time in his life.

“I had him when he needed me and needed that nurturing and loving, and he had his dad when he needed that push and to be made into that young man,” Moore said. “And he’s always had us both. That is something special for Kobe. We loved him immediately and came together to do what was best for him. Where people might have disagreements, we always put Kobe first.”

Savage would line up across childhood friends from Sulphur Springs playing as both a quarterback and defensive back for Paris High School, his dad constantly in his ear aiming to steer him away from distractions on what he believed to be the right path. But he was only a full-time safety during his senior year, and college offers were few and far between. Savage signed with Texas A&M Commerce and, after a frustrating redshirt year in 2019, transferred to Tyler Junior College — 100 miles south of Paris.

“My first year of Juco when COVID hit, it was a lot of doubt,” Savage said. “Not knowing how scholarships were going to go, a lot of guys getting that COVID year, I was really worried. I just put my faith in God and put my axe to the grindstone, just chopping at wood every single day. Everything put itself together in that following year when COVID finally passed.”

After two seasons at Tyler JC, Savage ended up at Kansas State, where he starred in the defensive backfield and was named second team all-Big 12 twice, starting all 22 games he appeared in for the Wildcats. His family felt embraced by the community in Manhattan, with mom and dad both overjoyed at the Division I opportunity Savage had carved out for himself and blown away by the hard-hitting, fierce safety their non-confrontational, quiet boy had become.

Then, to his father’s surprise, Savage entered the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility.

“When he told me he was getting in the portal, I was shocked,” Da’on Savage said. “We thought Kansas State was the best thing since sliced bread. Oregon came calling, and that’s not something you can just turn away. We got there on the trip, and it was a Friday. We were going to Seattle on Saturday. Me and his mama, we were like, ‘We ain’t going to Seattle.’ Kobe was thinking the same thing. Canceled the plans and stayed in Eugene. There was never really anybody else for him.”

Da’on Savage said he hopes his son will follow the model of former Oregon safety Evan Williams, and that his time in Eugene will provide a chance to contend for a national championship and increase his draft profile. He even went as far as to predict his son’s team will be there in Atlanta on Jan. 20, playing for the title.

The 23-year-old Savage rolls his eyes at his dad’s “old school” ways and penchant for motivational quotes, but does so out of evident love.

The transition into the Oregon football program has been smooth, and Savage said he feels at home quicker than expected. That is in large part due to his chosen family in the defensive backs room, who have embraced him with “open arms” from day one, and a group of guys outside his position group with whom Savage has bonded in a unique way.

“I love to go fishing. I really like freshwater fishing,” Savage said. “Me and the O-line, a lot of the O-line are good fishermen. Austin Novosad, Zach Grisham, all those guys too. Zach knows how to fly fish, so he’s trying to teach me how to do that. We went a little bit this past offseason in July. We went to (Dexter Reservoir) fishing off the little bridge.”

The bond Savage has already built with his Oregon teammates reaffirms his decision to transfer, he said. That isn’t to say his time at Kansas State wasn’t special, or that his junior college experience wasn’t formative, but connection and acceptance is all one truly ever seeks.

Savage’s journey to recapturing that feeling was anything but a straight line.

“Just think about the path I’ve been on to be at Oregon,” Savage said. “It’s any kid’s dream to be at Oregon. To think we could play for a national championship this year, at this level, is insane. It’s the pinnacle of college football.”

— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference for The Oregonian and co-hosts the Soccer Made in Portland and Ducks Confidential podcasts. He can be reached at rclarke@oregonian.com or @RyanTClarke.

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