Oct. 9, 2000

By Sam Walker

Adrian Duncan is guilty of one of the most mischievous acts a child can commit on parents. Duncan played one parent against the other to get what he wanted. In retrospect, it's a good thing that he did. If he had not "played" his mother against his father, his football career might never have been. If he had not, Wake Forest possibly would not have gone to or won the 1999 Aloha Bowl.

One has to admit it's a bit of stretch to state that one player was the difference in the Demon Deacons' 7-5 season, which included a 23-3 Aloha Bowl victory over Arizona State on Christmas Day. But Duncan essentially made the plays when they counted most against Georgia Tech in the victory that made Wake bowl eligible.

Duncan, a cornerback, had a career-high nine tackles, and returned an interception 37 yards to stop a second-quarter Georgia Tech drive. With 2:27 left in the game and the Deacons clinging to a 26-23 lead, Duncan recovered an onside kick that virtually ensured a Wake Forest victory. He was named ACC defensive back of the week for his play against the Yellow Jackets. In the Aloha Bowl, Duncan recorded a team-high eight tackles, had one sack and one pass break-up. There is evidence he did have quite an impact last season, and he is counted upon even more this season to lead a secondary thin in experience.

"He's a very smart football player with good quickness," Deacon coach Jim Caldwell said. "He played a lot for us last year, and now he is in a role where he's got to be the leader back there. He's typically the guy we will take and put on the best receiver. He wants that challenge. He's a real competitor. The combination of being a smart player and athletic makes him such a good player. He's more quick than he is fast, and he's enough of a riverboat gambler to take a chance back there."

Duncan began his riverboat gambling days early. It got him a place on a football team, something he had very much wanted when it could have gotten him in serious trouble with his parents.

"Growing up, my brothers and I always played basketball and baseball," Duncan said. "I wanted to play football because everybody in my neighborhood played football, but dad didn't want me to play. He was scared I would get hurt. I was a pretty good basketball player, so he figured I would go a long way with that, but I just wanted to play football."

Despite frequent inquiries, Adrian's father, Andrew, never gave in. Thanks to a little persistence his mother did. "One day I begged my mom over and over and over, and she sneaked me over to the Pee Wee football field and signed me up while my dad was at work. When my dad came home she said, 'We already paid for it so we might as well let him play.' That's how my football career began in the seventh grade."

Duncan was fast, and in the seventh grade if you could run, you stood out as one of the better players. Adrian could run. "I naturally had a knack for it," he said. "Going through high school I learned how to play the game and built on it from there."

Duncan's knack quickly won the support of his father, and he went on to a standout high school career at Dayton, Ohio's Patterson High School where he played for Head Coach Ron Rowland and Coach Jackie Fails. "He (Andrew Duncan) wasn't that upset at first, probably because of the way it had happened. But after I began to progress and he found out I was good at it, he'd pull out 'that's my boy!' and 'I told you he'd be good.'"

Duncan's worth became evident his freshman season when he was forced into action because of injuries to cornerbacks Reggie Austin and Dameon Daniel. He had highlights in games against Clemson and Maryland and North Carolina and finished the season tied for the team lead in pass break-ups. But he is probably best known these days for his sharp wit and comedic talents.

"He's a team prankster, a big joker, a comedian" linebacker Ed Kargbookorgie said. "He and Milo McGuire go at it in the back of the bus and keep the defense hyped. He keeps it loose and relaxed, but he's a great player, a real good player. He's our No. 1 guy, and we count on him to lock down the best receiver on the opposing team, too. If there's anybody back there I count on, it's Duncan."

Duncan once taped a freshman's locker shut. He wrapped a baseball-sized ball of tape around the lock on the freshman's locker before practice, which made the un-named freshman late to practice and got him in a little bit of trouble with the coaches. But Duncan wasn't going to miss any part of being a college football player, which includes participating in freshman initiations. Duncan didn't get the same treatment when first arrived at Wake Forest. When he was a freshman no player included him in some of the cruel pranks most freshmen endure. At that time, members of the Wake Forest football team figured Duncan had endured enough.

Two days before he was to report to Wake Forest Duncan's older brother, Roger, was murdered and robbed by Roger's best friend. Roger had distinguished himself as a world class athlete by participating at the World Judo Championships, and he was helped guide Adrian as he was making the transition from high school to college.

"We used to talk about going to school, and he had given me some tidbits," Duncan said. "He had been out there and experienced the sports realm, and he would give me little tidbits of advice. He never got to see me play in college. That's one thing I hate about that because he always talked about coming down to watch me play. The whole thing was just selfishness basically."

Since his rocky beginnings Adrian appears to have adjusted well to life as a student-athlete. He is a communications major who is seriously considering going to law school to become a sports agent after football no longer becomes an option. Like Kargbookorgie said, he remains a fun-loving and popular member of the team.

"We have to provide the entertainment for those long bus rides," Duncan said. "We come up with new material every week just by noticing people's every day activities. We pick on guys we play with, guys we play against. We imitate coaches. We do it all. We've probably imitated everybody except Coach Caldwell. We get a kick out of imitating Coach (Theo) Lemon. Everybody gets a kick of Coach Lemon. He's a real character. When he says something we find it pretty comical just because of his tone of voice. We're both from Ohio so he lets me get away with a little bit. He'll let me slide one or two in there."

Duncan has earned his seniority on the 2000 team. He is one part of a trio of experienced players in the defensive backfield alongside Michael Clinkscale and Tehran Carpenter. And he continues to provide solid play at cornerback and as a punt returner. Duncan has experienced the highs and lows of Wake Forest football, and looks at this season as the next challenge. He knows what a little persistence can do. After all, if it were not for persistence, he never would have played football.

"I feel like I've been here forever," Duncan said. "I feel old. It's just seeing all the people come and go. There are three classes under me so they treat me like an old guy sometimes. It has its perks though."

"It's a learning experience, and I try to take it as an opportunity to provide some leadership and gel with other guys."

"Every week I ask for that," Duncan said. "If the other team has a guy they especially like to get the ball to, the best guy they have, I ask coach if I can have that assignment because I feel like I'm the best guy we have. You have to have that cockiness to be a good defensive back. You can have the ability, but if you don't have that cockiness and ability to bounce back after being beaten then it is not the position for you."