Troy Andrew: This Senior Is Used To Being The Center Of Attention

The center position in football is not the flashiest in the sport. Fans rarely see highlights of these players on television, much less catch them making an amazing catch in the open field or breaking out for a 20-yard run during a "Play of the Day" clip. But without the center, these plays would not be possible.

As the backbone of the offense, the center is looked upon to provide consistency and stability on the field.

In his third season as the Blue Devil starter at center, senior Troy Andrew has been a strong force on Duke's offensive line during his career. His steady and dependable play on the line have made him an All-ACC candidate this season.

Chosen as a co-captain for his senior campaign, Andrew is true to his position: he gets the job done not by vocally inspiring his teammates, but by leading by example.

"I just try to stay consistent as I've been the past four years," Andrew said of his captaining duties. "I don't want to say I'm a vocal guy. I just try to lead by example and do the best I can. Hopefully our guys can have confidence in me. I don't necessarily want to be looked up to; I just want to be understood and relied upon."

"Troy has a chance to be one of the best centers in the league," said Blue Devils head coach Carl Franks. "He's put in the work, and the guys recognize that if he needs to pump them up a little bit, they know he's invested a lot in the offseason and has worked as hard as anybody. He gives us a very steady person at center who has to make a lot of decisions for us." Interestingly enough, the center position was not Andrew's natural position in high school. The Klein, Texas native played offensive tackle in high school, a position in which he excelled and was regarded as a top prospect out of Texas in 1996. He received the chance to showcase his skills at center during an all-star game in Texas. The starting center was injured, and Andrew volunteered to fill the position.

"They asked if anyone else could play [center]. I was second string [at tackle] behind a guy who was all-state so I was said, I can play center.' They threw me in there and that was pretty much my first time playing competitively at center. I guess I kind of took to it after a while," Andrew explained.

Former head coach Fred Goldsmith liked the idea of Andrew at center as well, and, after redshirting the 1996 campaign, Andrew backed up former Duke center John Gordon in 1997, Gordon's final season. When Gordon graduated, Andrew naturally assumed the responsibilities of center, and since then, he has become a major contributor and leader on Duke's offensive line.

Despite the steady presence of Andrew on the Duke offense, the sociology major has had his share of adversity during his time at Duke. In particular, last season Andrew played on an injured right knee, which required surgery in the offseason.

"I think [the injury] checked how tough I was and how badly I wanted to play," Andrew said. "It really challenged me to be a better player because I think I had a subpar year last year. It made me work hard to come back from [that season] and come back the adversity of an injury."

Andrew also experienced what would be considered by any other program or player to be a challenging time in December of 1998 when Carl Franks replaced Fred Goldsmith as head coach of the Blue Devils. However, Andrew downplays the change, seeing it instead as "a new attitude."

"[The coaching change] really helped us out I think it gave us a little life, a little kick. Things started to grow around here. There's been no adverse reaction to it," he explained.

While Andrew would like to play in the NFL at the completion of his Duke career, he recognizes that the situation is not in his hands, aside from hard work and training. Regardless, he has another love if a career in football is not in the cards: law enforcement, as Andrew spent this past summer working with the Durham County Police Department. While the opportunity allowed Andrew to realize what he wanted to do after football, it taught him lessons that he could apply to the football field now.

"In law enforcement the officers the men and women of law enforcement take great pride in their work," Andrew said. "Sometimes it seems like it's them against the world. That's kind of what football sometimes is like on the offensive line. You have to take a lot of pride in your work, be pretty competitive, and stay on your toes."

Like the tight relationships between law enforcement officials, the camaraderie that Andrew has established with his teammates, the players with whom he has worked and faced opponents over his time, has been one of the most important aspects of his impressive career as a Blue Devil.

"The rewarding experience [for me] would be the friends I've made and the bonds I've had because I'm pretty much been playing with the same guys for five years, just growing as people and as friends and, at the same time, helping each other through hard times," he explained.

Because of his experiences at Duke, Andrew will carry this sense of group unity and pride to whatever field in which he participates next, whether it is football or upholding the law.

Troy Andrew: This Senior Is Used To Being The Center Of Attention

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