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Five Blue Devils Sign NFL Free Agent Contracts
4/22/2002 1:00:00 AM | Football
April 22, 2002
Five former Duke football players -- Ronnie Hamilton, Mike Hart, Nate Krill, Shawn Lynch and John Miller -- have signed free agent contracts with respective teams in the National Football League.
Hamilton, a 5-8, 181-pound defensive back from Oxford, N.C., signed with the New York Giants after starting 38 games in the secondary for Duke and leading the Blue Devils in pass breakups in each of the past three seasons. An honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2001 as a return specialist, he finished eighth on the Duke team with 47 tackles last fall while leading the league in punt return average at 15.6 yards per return. Hamilton finished his career ranking third all-time at Duke with 30 pass breakups, fourth in punt returns with 54 and fifth in punt return yards with 557.
Hart, a 6-6, 260-pound tight end from Sayville, N.Y., inked with the San Francisco 49ers after earning a pair of Duke team MVP awards in each of the past two years. A two-time All-ACC choice, Hart finished his career with 86 pass receptions for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns. In 2001, he garnered honorable mention All-America recognition after catching 30 passes for 476 yards and four touchdowns. Hart became just the fourth Duke player ever to win a pair of team MVP awards and also was a two-time Academic All-ACC selection.
Krill, a 6-8, 270-pound defensive lineman from McLean, Va., signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Krill finished the 2001 season with 45 total tackles including a team-leading seven tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks. He registered career totals of 105 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks in 35 games.
Lynch, a 6-4, 280-pound offensive lineman from West Palm Beach, Fla., signed with the Kansas City Chiefs after starting 31 games for Duke at both offensive guard and center during his career. He was named the recipient of Duke's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award in 2001 after starting all 11 games at center for the Blue Devils.
Miller, a 6-6, 335-pound offensive lineman from Bassett, Va., signed with the Houston Texans. Miller was a three-year starter for the Blue Devils at both guard and tackle and earned 28 starting assignments during his career. He was Duke's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2000 after leading the Blue Devils with 60 knockdown blocks.
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