Brett from over at Pick Six Previews stopped by to talk about his yearly Power 5 previews, how great season preview magazines used to be, mini-helmets, how Duke turned it around last year and why the ACC needs to make the annual game with Wake more important. We also get into the 2023 season and the future of the ACC. This was a fun talk with a die-hard college football fan and top-notch analyst.
One thing that I found to be of particular interest was our discussion of the differences between the Blue Devils’ 2022 and 2023 schedules. This year could see the team lose more games, but still be a better team than last year. I can’t wait to see what happens and I’m hoping that Duke builds on the success of last season.
If you haven’t yet, check out these sweet Blue Devil helmets Brett put together!
Those of you who watched Duke football in the mid to late 90s know just how dominant of a force Chris Combs was. There’s a reason that he got drafted by the Steelers in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL draft. Well, there’s more than one. Those reasons include, but aren’t limited to, his work ethic, his leadership and his ability to dominate the game as a defensive tackle.
Chris Combs gets ready to make a play against the Lions.
Unfortunately, because of the era during which Chris played (Coaches Goldsmith and Franks), we sometimes forget just how great of a player he was. This interview is a perfect way to refresh our recollection of an all-time Blue Devil.
During our almost 1.5 hour interview, we covered a wide range of topics. These include Chris’ work as a strength and conditioning coach during the Ted Roof era. That gave Chris the chance to work with other teams including Duke LAX. Chris was there for the Duke LAX scandal which we talked about. In addition to that, we learned about Chris’ current career and how his playing days at Duke gave him the strength to persevere through a slow start. We also talked about how great Roanoke is, how much I continue to hate Maryland and one of the worst calls in the history of Blue Devil football. And for all you young fans, we’ve got a pretty good argument that the ACC refs have always been out to get us. Fun fact, I called Dad the day after the interview, mentioned the call and then listened to him get real, real upset at the officials when I brought it up. It’s been more than twenty-five years and he’s still mad about it. Safe to say, Dad is of the opinion that the refs made a horrible, horrible call. Which they did – there was no reason for the penalty flag on that play.
If all that weren’t enough, we also talked about the historic Flu Game against Florida State in 1998. For those of you who many not remember, pretty much every Duke player got a case of food poisoning and became violently ill during the game. Naturally, the team absolutely fell apart against the Seminoles. What I didn’t know is that the Flu Game resulted in a CDC and North Carolina Department of Health investigation. The Blue Devil players transmitted the Norwalk virus to Florida State players during the game which was the first time that mass transmission of a virus occurred on a football field. The New England Journal of Medicine published an article about it.
Here is what Coach Goldsmith had to say about how he felt during the game (this is taken from his book, “Comeback Coach“):
“I was walking around the FSU field when all of a sudden I felt the sickest I have ever felt in my life. I thought something was wrong with my heart and I was going to die right there in Doak Campbell Stadium.”
Now, you may question some part of Coach Goldsmith’s recount of his symptoms because he goes on to claim in that same paragraph of his book that the Blue Devils only lost to the Noles by a touchdown or two. That’s not remotely close to being accurate. The final score was actually a much closer than it looked, according to Coach Goldsmith, 62-13. However, after listening to what Chris had to say about the game, I’ve concluded that Coach Goldsmith’s memory of the final score is colored by the severity of his symptoms.
I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Chris and to talk to him about an era of Duke football that I spent a lot of time watching. It’s great to have guys like him be part of the Blue Devil family.
Let me know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.
Desmond Scott, one of Duke’s most versatile players ever, stopped by for a great discussion about a wide variety of topics. In regard to just how impactful of a player Desmond was, take look at his rushing, receiving and return stats – it’s unreal, especially considering that he transitioned to wide receiver for his senior year. Unbelievable.
During this almost 1.5 hour discussion, we talk about how Desmond elected to forego the NFL to become a principal which, in turn, led him to his current career of being a life trainer. Desmond owns and operates Prime Athletic Training & Fitness Institute and helps develop his clients in all aspects of their lives. We discuss how Demond built his business, how he became an entrepreneur, the challenges presented to his livelihood by COVID-19 and being a new father. Oh, and did I mention we talked about Blue Devils football? Well, we did. And Desmond has an amazing recruiting story that involves an all-time “What If?” in regard to West Virginia. You’ll be amazed when you hear it.
Further, you’ll recall that Desmond was on the 2012 team that beat the Cheats and was part of the 4th and Bowl play.
And, if all this weren’t enough, Desmond has some great things to say about Coach Elko, Coach Feeley and the current state of the program. Thank you, Desmond, for stopping by and for such a great talk.
Finally, as we get to the end of the episode, you’ll hear me mention that my Grandmother passed away peacefully last week. Grandma Wayne means a great deal to me; she helped me develop as a man, as a father and in my career. I don’t have enough time to thank her for all that she did for me, so I’ll just say that I don’t mourn the passing of a woman who lived to age 94, stayed married to Grandpa Wayne for 72 years, had four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Grandma did some wonderful things and, instead of mourning her passing, I celebrate her life. In addition to raising a family, Grandma went back to school after her children got older and worked as a school teacher until she retired. She was a whip-smart woman who graduated from the College of Charleston. Had Grandma come along a little bit later, she would have been a scientist (I believe she got a Chemistry degree) or may have ended up as an attorney.
Because Grandma got sick when she did, I had time to visit with Grandpa and, as a result, I learned a lot about my family and Grandma and Grandpa’s relationship. Fun story – Grandma was so smart and so diligent about her studies that she snuck a German textbook into the dance where she met Grandpa. While Grandma may not have approved (read “strongly disapproved”) of me and my wife living together before we got married, she never mentioned it to my wife and always treated her with the utmost respect. One of the last things she said to me before she passed is that my wife “is a special woman.”
Obviously, I can’t say enough good things about my Grandmother, so I’ll just let Marcus Aurelius say it for me – “the longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose.”
I love you, Grandma.
Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.
Conor O’Neill, who you all know from his work for Duke and Deacons Illustrated, stopped by for a great talk about instant replay, the importance of local journalism and the changing landscape of sports media, what to expect from the Blue Devils and Wake football teams next season and why Duke-Wake Forest should be a bigger rivalry. Duke-Miami 2015 gets a fairly detailed discussion, too. And, if that weren’t enough, we also have a little conversation about basketball which will require some clarification from me. So, let me take care of that now.
We recorded the interview on Thursday night. The next morning, while I drove down to see my parents, Dad got a call from Coach K. Yes, that Coach K. A friend of my brother’s from high school somehow got in touch with Coach K or his people and Dad got a surprise call. Coach K wanted to make sure Dad was eating and gaining weight during chemo. They also talked about the legacy that teachers have through their students. Thank you, Coach, for doing that. We can’t put into words just how much we appreciate your kindness.
So, while some may interpret a few comments I made about the state of the roster when Coach Scheyer took over as critical of how Coach K left things, I want to be clear that what I was saying is that Coach K is the finest human being who deserves nothing but praise and anything that could be considered as criticism of him is simply heresy. And I, for one, will never engage in such criticism as I am a totally positive person who only sees the good things in life and strenuously avoids negativity. The below is my motto
Thank you, Coach K, and my brother’s friend, for the phone call. It really picked up Dad yesterday.
Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.
Do we really need to do an introduction for Conner Vernon? He’s one of the greatest wide receivers in program history. If you don’t recognize him by now, that’s probably on you. Seriously, this guy is in the GOAT discussion for wide receivers.
During this interview, we discuss Conner’s current career in wealth management, his work as a radio color commentator for the Blue Devils’ beatdown of Miami this past season, Dave Harding‘s slow response time and how his class helped turn Duke around from a doormat to eventual ACC Coastal Champion. We also get into Conner’s proficiency at trash-talking his opponent. Oh, and did someone say Fourth and Bowl?
This was a great talk with a Blue Devil legend. Thanks, Conner, for stopping by.
Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.
We have watched Jackson Hubbard as the holder on placekicks for what seems like forever and a day. Jackson joined Duke in 2017 and, after a redshirt and a COVID year, he’s about to wrap up his sixth season as a Blue Devil with an appearance in the Military Bowl against UCF.
In this interview, we learn what brought Jackson to Duke, how he became the holder, how he went from being a walk-on to earning a scholarship and why it’s always LACES OUT!!! (Side note, I’m not sure he’s seen Ace Ventura. So, once again, I was made to feel rather old during an interview with a current player.) We also learn about the new coaching staff and how the team turned things around this season.
Let us know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.
Ron Frederick played at Duke under Coach Red Wilson after transferring in from ECU. He was fortunate enough to play alongside several Blue Devil greats including Ben Bennett and Chris Castor. After playing in Coach Spurrier’s offense, Ron got a chance to show his stuff and made it into professional football with Tampa Bay and then with the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL.
During the interview, we discuss Ron’s football career, his time in Durham, the current state of Duke football and the unique motivational abilities of Coach Spurrier. In addition, we covered the reincarnation of the USFL and have a good talk on how coaches should sometimes stay where they are. This was a fun talk with a diehard Blue Devil.
Big shoutout to my friend Dan for helping put this together and getting me and Ron in touch. This interview wouldn’t have happened without him.
Let us know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.
We all know Lauren Brownlow, purveyor of all things ACC, from her Twitter account and The ACC Panic Room. What started off as a conversation about ACC football got sidetracked into more entertaining subjects like how awful Pete Carroll is and the punchable face that he has, did Russell Wilson get a hex put on him (and by whom?) and the Catsup toss that was the 2010 Music City Bowl. We also discussed Long-COVID and the difficulties associated with being a woman in sports journalism.
Now, we did actually discuss a lot of issues with ACC football including the conference serving as Notre Dame’s sidepiece (and, because I wasn’t clear initially, my complaints about the Irish go back to 2013 when they “joined” the conference), a mixed bag of good and not so good bowl games and what Coach Elko and Duke accomplished this year. We also discuss the sort of implosion we’re watching real-time over at that school in Chapel Hill. There’s also a good discussion about what it will take to keep the Blue Devils competitive over the coming seasons.
And, of course, we relive this glorious moment of ACC football:
In the open mic session, Lauren made good use of her time and talked about the need to donate to domestic violence shelters. Please consider doing this during a time that many families could use some help. It’s a great cause.
Let us know what you think in the comments, on Reddit, on Mastodon or on Twitter.
We all remember Colby from the 2021 season at Duke.
Colby transferred in from Presbyterian College and, after being a beast on special teams, went on to be a part of a championship team in the Finnish Maple League and was named the MVP of the championship game. Colby will play for the Albany Empire this coming season as he continues to pursue his dream of getting to the NFL. In addition to these topics, Colby and I discuss the 2021 season and how Coach Elko (and Coach Feeley) turned things around this year. You’ll also hear from Future Ben as he reads Colby’s prediction for Duke’s bowl game. This was a great talk with a memorable Blue Devil.
Now, let me conclude by saying that there will be a discussion about the team meeting with law enforcement during the 2021 season and the effect it had on the team. This podcast is not set up to fully and completely engage in a discussion about use of force by law enforcement, so please don’t consider this to serve as that discussion. The level of detail that topic requires is well beyond the scope of this podcast.
I hope you enjoy the interview. As always, Go Duke!
Matthew from The ACC Weekly Podcastreturned to the podcast to recap the 2022 ACC football season. We covered a lot of topics including Coach Elko being ACC Coach of the Year and the great season that Duke had, how FSU is on the cusp of getting back to the top of the ACC mountain, the disappointing seasons that UVA and Miami had as well as the future of the conference and what it needs to do in order to stay viable. We also both take Clemson to win the ACC Championship (and I called out the ACC for conspiring to put UNC in the title game over the Blue Devils). And we talked about Russian misinformation in online sports communities! This was a fun talk with an expert on all things ACC.
Bull City Coordinators - A Duke Football and Roman History Blog 