Duke's Brian Greene Emerges As Gridiron Leader

March 24, 2005

Brian Greene sits comfortably with a smile on his face -- not because he recently returned from an enjoyable spring break trip with a group of teammates, or that he is close to completing another term paper for a political science class. He is smiling because the topic of Duke playing football on September 3 against East Carolina in Greenville has been brought up in conversation.

"Before you know it, it will be here," Greene says of Duke's 2005 season-opening game with a strong sense of urgency. "I can't wait until it comes."

After four years of college, most students are ready to move forward with their lives. Jobs, families and other extracurricular activities await them. For Greene, a native of Kennesaw, Ga., the choice to return for a fifth year and final season of athletic eligibility wasn't too difficult.

"Number one, it was my relationship with Coach Roof," Greene said. "He's a great man and a great coach. I felt like if I didn't come back, I would be letting him down in some fashion. Also my loyalty to my teammates in a sense that they wanted me to come back. I just want to win football games. The main focus is to win games. Now to get to that point, we have to put in a lot of hard work and be dedicated, and that is what off-season conditioning and spring practice are all about."

Greene is a cornerstone among the building blocks that Roof has laid out in front of him with the task of reconstructing the Duke program. Greene is as solid as they come, and being thrust into a leadership role doesn't bother him at all.

"I've sat back in the wings the past couple of years because we've had seniors who have been leaders," he commented. "Now I'm a senior and you take on that responsibility to show guys the way. I've been through it, and it isn't easy. Now I can help the younger players out. It's been a little tough this spring with so many of the older players out, but it's something I enjoy and a place I've been looking forward to getting to."

Greene's background proves once again that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"My dad was a college football quarterback at a division two school in Ohio, so I get my football sense from him," Greene said. "But as far as my toughness and my grit, I get those from my mother. She's taught me to always hold strong in my word, do what I say I'm going to do and don't back down from anything. It's really rubbed off on me and I look at her as one of the biggest influences in my life."

On the gridiron, Greene has used that toughness and grit to play in 34 career games -- starting 30 -- over the course of his first three seasons. After two seasons at cornerback yielded 81 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions, he switched positions to safety in the spring of 2004. Last year, the former high school quarterback who helped Harrison High School to 31 victories in three seasons finished fourth on the team with 59 tackles to go along with two tackles for loss, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

Greene's move to safety benefited the entire Blue Devil team, putting the 6-1, 200-pounder in the best position suited for his mental and physical abilities while opening a starting slot for John Talley at cornerback. Talley responded by racking up 59 tackles, 14 pass breakups and four interceptions -- two of which he returned for touchdowns -- en route to earning Second Team All-ACC honors. Duke's defense ranked third in the ACC in interceptions (15) and fourth in total turnovers caused (26) in 2004.

"We've been extremely pleased with the progress Brian has made over the course of his career," Roof noted. "He was a quarterback in high school, and made the transition into the defensive secondary here. Then he switched positions within the secondary. He was forced to play quite a bit early in his career, and now has a very good understanding of the game. He is a big piece of our defense, and has done a good job of assuming a leadership position within our program."

In playing the waiting game for September 3, Greene will continue to smile, work hard and lead the Blue Devils down the right path toward success.