Nicknamed ‘Duke’ for his childhood hoops fandom, Blue Devils safety eager to impress

Darius Joiner’s childhood nickname was Duke, so naturally he’s wearing the Blue Devils uniform prepping for the season.

Of course, the journey from boyhood basketball fandom in rural Alabama to a key role in the Duke football team’s secondary was far from a straight path.

Joiner led his high school to a state championship, and stayed in Alabama to play college football and study biology at Jacksonville State.

After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 season there, he played at Western Illinois last season, where he was an FCS All-American safety with 142 — that’s right, 142 — tackles in 11 games.

Now a month shy of his 24th birthday, he’s in Durham, taking graduate-level courses at Fuqua School of Business at the school that earned him a nickname many years ago.

His new coaches and teammates are happy his career trek led him from tiny Roanoke, Alabama, through two colleges to them.

“First of all he’s a very high energy guy,” said Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, a team captain. “I’m sure you can tell. He’s hilarious. That’s my guy. We’ve become close. He’s a good communicator on the field. He’s a vet and he plays like a vet.”

Said Duke safeties coach Lyle Hemphill, “He’s a good football player. I don’t know how else to say it.”

So good, Joiner said, that he had other ACC opportunities when he entered his name in the transfer portal this year. But once Duke reached out, his decision was easy.

“Now I had an opportunity to really go to Duke,” Joiner said. “I mean, I knew the program hasn’t been where it’s wanted to be. But, I’m like I want to be a part of turning it around and making it the Duke I knew when I was growing up.”

And if Duke’s first-year basketball coach Jon Scheyer needs another player, Joiner is willing after having played in high school.

“I’d be a backup,” Joiner said with a sly smile. “I don’t want to come in and step on anybody’s toes. You know I can give them 35 (points) and 10 (rebounds). Nothing too much.”

A month shy of his 24th birthday, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Joiner brings experience and production, albeit at a lower level of college football. He’s also brimming with confidence and personality, bringing some juice to a team that’s lost 13 ACC games in a row.

“Just keeping their spirits high,” Joiner said. “Not keeping the losing mentality that we’ve had here before. I’m trying to elevate the mentality and make it a winning program because I have three conference championship rings. I got a state championship ring. I’m not used to losing, so coming here, losing, there’s not an option to lose in my mind.”

The Blue Devils are in dire need of defenders who tackle well, hustle and create turnovers. Thus far in August practices, Joiner is doing just that.

“I think the thing that jumps out about him is he plays really, really hard and he’s around the football,” Duke defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. “In order to get a takeaway, you’ve got to be around the football. So I think he’s certainly got a knack for that.”

Joiner is new to this defense just like his teammates with Mike Elko, a longtime defensive coordinator himself, taking over as head coach and installing Smith as his defensive coordinator. Hemphill was previously Wake Forest’s defensive coordinator.

That’s a lot of knowledge to help the Blue Devils get better in a part of the game where they’ve struggled the past two seasons while going 2-9 and 3-9.

Joiner’s doing his best to lead his new teammates in real time during practices.

“I just want to see people play fast, know what they’re doing,” Joiner said. “Make plays. Everything will just take care of itself. Like I tell the linebackers if you see a gap, shoot it. I’m behind you. I’m gonna fix it for you. Just don’t be indecisive because once you’re indecisive, you make me indecisive. We ain’t got time for that.”

The time for making plays when it matters is drawing close. In fewer than two weeks, the Blue Devils will open their season against Temple, Sept. 2 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Joiner is pushing for a starting job, needing strong work over the next week to wrap it up.

“We’re excited to see him, see how things finish out the rest of training camp,” Smith said, “but he’s been a lot of fun to have to coach and be around.”