Upcoming Event: Football versus Tulane on September 5, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.
Football
vs Tulane
John Talley Named Duke Football MVP
1/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Junior cornerback John Talley was named the recipient of the Carmen Falcone Most Valuable Player Award at Duke University's annual football banquet held on Saturday evening in Durham, N.C.
Talley, a native of Duncan, S.C., earned First Team All-ACC honors after registering 50 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass breakups. He ranked second in the ACC in both interceptions and total passes defended (13).
Other award winners included Phillip Alexander (Captain's Award & Co-Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award), Zack Asack (Co-Most Improved Offensive Player), Tim Ball (Co-Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award), Justin Boyle (Co-Outstanding Offensive Player), Michael Brown (Co-Outstanding Defensive Player), Casey Camero (Most Improved Defensive Player), Chris Davis (Iron Devil Award), Brendan Dewan (Captain's Award, Co-Outstanding Defensive Player & Co-Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award), Ronnie Drummer (Co-Outstanding Offensive Player), Ronnie Elliott (Captain's Award & Co-Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award), Cameron Goldberg (Co-Most Improved Offensive Player), Eli Nichols (Co-Ace Parker Award), Ben Patrick (Captain's Award), Eron Riley (Co-Most Improved Offensive Player), Andy Roland (Co-Ace Parker Award), Zach Smith (Mike Suglia Award), Chris Sprague (Outstanding Special Teams Player), and Alex Williams (Most Improved Special Teams Player).
Alexander, Ball, Dewan and Elliott were co-honorees of the Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award which is presented annually to the member of the Duke football program who displays the highest teammate qualities such as inspiration, unselfishness and commitment to the team. Harris was tragically killed in an automobile accident in June of 2004, just prior to his senior year at Duke.
Alexander, a senior defensive end from Bronx, N.Y., started all 11 games in 2005 and registered 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery while serving as a team captain for the second straight year. Ball, a sophomore running back from Carrollton, Texas, did not see game action in 2005 after suffering a leg injury last spring. Dewan, a senior linebacker from Austin, Texas, finished second on the team in total tackles with 69 while adding 9.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Elliott, a senior wide receiver from Huntsville, Ala., caught 19 passes for 176 yards to finish second on the squad in receptions despite missing four games due to injury.
Asack, a freshman quarterback from Westwood, Mass., led Duke in passing with 966 yards after completing 90-of-180 attempts with five touchdowns. Asack, who also rushed for two touchdowns and ranked 10th in the ACC in total offense, was an honorable mention Freshman All-America choice by The Sporting News.
Boyle, a sophomore tailback from Acworth, Ga., paced the Blue Devils in both rushing and scoring in 2005. He rushed for 458 yards and nine touchdowns on the year, with his touchdown total ranking fourth best in the ACC.
Brown, a freshman linebacker from Houston, Texas, was credited for a team-high 92 tackles along with 10.0 tackles for loss and three caused fumbles. He was a First Team Freshman All-America selection by both The Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America.
Camero, a junior defensive tackle from Tampa, Fla., started all 11 contests and racked up 39 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback sack on the season.
Davis, a sophomore safety from Stone Mountain, Ga., received the Iron Devil Award for playing the most snaps during the course of the season. On the field for a total of 785 plays, he was a valuable member of Duke's defensive and special teams units in 2005. Davis was in on 46 total tackles and had two interceptions while returning both punts (22 for a 7.6 average) and kickoffs (20 for a 21.2 average).
Drummer, a sophomore tailback from Salinas, Calif., placed second on the team in rushing with 352 yards on just 33 carries, good for an average gain of 10.2 yards per attempt. He displayed his big play potential with an 81-yard touchdown run at Miami in week six.
Goldberg, a redshirt freshman offensive tackle from Lutherville, Md., played in 10 games and started the season finale at North Carolina. He was a Freshman All-ACC pick by The Sporting News.
Nichols, a junior defensive end from Crawfordville, Fla., and Roland, a senior tight end from West Lawn, Pa., shared the Ace Parker Award which is presented annually to an individual who displays unparalleled commitment to the team and overcomes adversity to contribute. Parker, one of 11 former Duke players and coaches to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame, was a two-time All-America pick in 1935 and 1936. Following his successful NFL career, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972. Parker later served as an assistant coach at Duke from 1947-65. Nichols, a Second Team Academic All-America selection in 2005, logged 48 tackles and three sacks for the year while Roland had 13 pass receptions for 176 yards and one touchdown.
Patrick, a junior tight end from Savannah, Ga., led Duke in receiving by hauling in 30 passes for 252 yards.
Riley, a freshman wide receiver from Savannah, Ga., averaged a team-high 22.5 yards per pass reception after catching 11 balls for 247 yards and two touchdowns. His top day came at Clemson when he had four grabs for 130 yards including a 66-yard scoring reception.
Sprague, a senior punter from Irvine, Calif., enjoyed a fine season on Duke's special teams units, serving as punter, kickoff specialist and holder. He average 41.4 yards per punt on 76 kicks and had 20 boots downed inside the opponents' 20 yard line compared to just one touchback.
Smith, a sophomore linebacker from Suwanee, Ga., received the Mike Suglia Award which is presented annually to the second-year member of the Duke football program who best exemplifies the qualities of the late Mike Suglia. Mike Suglia was an offensive lineman at Duke in 1976-77 who died suddenly during the spring of his sophomore year. He was an excellent student, an outstanding football player, and, most importantly, a young man of the highest integrity.
Williams, a junior linebacker from Dublin, Ga., was a valuable member of Duke's kick coverage teams in 2005. He finished the season with 20 total tackles.
Players Mentioned
DE
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballDT
/ FootballS
/ Football
LB
/ FootballRB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballOT
/ Football
DE
/ Football
H-Back
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ FootballLB
/ FootballP
/ FootballCB
/ Football
LB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballWednesday, May 27
Tuesday, April 28
Friday, April 10
Friday, April 03
