Completed Event: Men's Soccer at #14 Akron on November 30, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 2
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Final
Men's Soccer
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at #14 Akron
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Darrius Barnes Senior Profile
10/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. ? GoDuke.com recently sat down with defender Darrius Barnes of the men's soccer team for his senior profile. Barnes, a native of Raleigh, N.C., discusses his favorite memories from his collegiate career, his favorite soccer players, his dream of playing professional soccer, plus much more.
GoDuke.com: If you could have dinner with four people from history (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Darrius Barnes: Barack Obama, Pele', Michael Jordan and Martin Luther King Jr. because these individuals have made a dramatic impact on different areas of society and influenced me in a positive light.
GD: If you could go on tour with any musician or group who would it be and why?
DB: Jay-Z because he is one of the greatest musicians of all time and the concerts would be sold out wherever we went.
GD: Who is your favorite professional player in your sport?
DB: My favorite player that doesn't play anymore is Eddie Pope because we played the same position, had the same number and had really similar types of play. People also used to say that we looked alike; I can't really vouch for that one though. Now I would have to say that my favorite player is Christiano Ronaldo because he is such an explosive player who can change a game at anytime.
GD: What is your dream job?
DB: My dream job is to play soccer professionally. It has always been a dream and aspiration of mine to play the game I love for a living.
GD: What magazine cover would you most like to be featured on?
DB: It would more than likely be a GQ magazine.
GD: What is playing on your iPod right now?
DB: More than likely anything by Lil Wayne, Jay-Z or TI. Those are my favorite artists. Their songs probably consume most of the memory on my iPod.
GD: Who is the best athlete you have every played with or against in your soccer career?
DB: Kyle Helton.
GD: What is one thing people don't know about you?
DB: I love fashion and I'm a shoe fanatic.
GD: What's the best advice you've ever received?
DB: “Nobody ever got fast training slow” ? Coach Jeff Howser
GD: What is your favorite place to hang out at Duke?
DB: Our locker room.
GD: Why do you wear your number?
DB: My previous three years here I wore number 13 because that is what was given to me and everyone said that would be an unlucky number. I feel like I have proven that wasn't the case because I consider those three years to have been successful for the most part. This year I decided to change to number 23 because that was my number all throughout high school and club soccer ever since I was about seven or eight.
GD: If you could be any superhero, who would it be and why?
DB: I would have to say Wolverine because he had a tough and relentless swagger to him. Nothing fazed him at all. Whenever he was knocked down, he always got back up and that is what I try to demonstrate day in and day out
GD: What is your favorite TV show?
DB: Right now it's an investigation show called the First 48. But my favorite TV show of all time is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
GD: What's your favorite memory to date of your college career?
DB: My favorite memories would have to be winning the ACC championships my freshman and sophomore seasons. My freshman year we beat UNC in penalties to win and my sophomore year we beat Wake Forest in overtime. Both of those games were classics that I will always remember.
Players Mentioned
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