Duke All-Decade Team 2010-2019: Special Teams
We’ve looked at Duke’s All-Decade teams for offense and defense. Now we look at the best special teams players the Blue Devils have had from 2010 to 2019.
Kicker: Ross Martin, 2012 to 2015. This might be the biggest no-brainer on the entire team. Martin finished his Duke career as the best Blue Devils kicker in history. He has the top three spots on highest-scoring Duke seasons. His fourth year of eligibility was “only” good for fifth best all-time. His 430 points are 190 more than the No. 2 scorer on Duke’s career list. He also holds the top two spots on the Duke list for PATs in a season and has a more than one-season lead over the next kicker on Duke’s career PAT list. He made 152 in a row at one point, which nearly doubled the school record. Martin has the record and three of the top four spots on the single-season field goals made and field goal percentage lists and holds the career mark for both categories as well. His eight field goals of 50 yards or more is also a school record.
Punter: Will Monday, 2012 to 2015. The race for All-Decade punter was much tighter. Monday got the nod by a slim margin over Austin Parker, who just completed his Duke career this season. Parker got bonus points for filling in as placekicker one season, hitting 94 percent of his PATs and 81 percent of his field goals while posting the eighth-best scoring season in school history. Monday had slightly better punting stats, however, and he was more consistent, which gives him the nod. Monday averaged 43.5 yards for his career, with all four yearly averages between 42.7 and 44.6. He finished second on the school career list for punting yards and first for average. His 79-yard punt in the Belk Bowl is the third longest in school history.
Kick returner: DeVon Edwards, 2013 to 2016. As a safety, he was a strong candidate for All-Decade. Edwards is one of two Blue Devils with two interception returns in a game. As a return man, there was no question he earned the spot. He holds the school records with three kick return touchdowns in a season and his six career scores on returns are twice as many as any other Blue Devil. He holds four spots in top 10 for longest Duke kick returns, with a pair of 100-yarders and a pair of 99-yarders.
Punt returner: Jamison Crowder, 2011 to 2014. Already on the team as a wide receiver, Crowder will do double All-Decade duty. His four punt returns for a score are a Duke career record, and he holds two shares of the school single-season record with a pair of two-touchdown seasons. His 82-yarder against Pitt and 76-yarder against NC Central are both in the top 10 for longest returns.
