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David Helton Senior Profile
12/11/2014 9:00:00 AM | Football, Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. -- Recently, GoDuke.com sat down with senior David Helton to learn more about the Chattanooga, Tenn., native.
GoDuke.com: What has been your favorite place to compete during your time here?
David Helton: I would say Virginia Tech is extremely fun. Playing in that environment is extremely electric and it is really cool playing in front of 70-80,000, or however many they jam into their stadium. It is really, really cool to see all those fans going against you and being able to play in that kind of environment.
GoDuke.com: What is a road trip memory you will always carry with you?
DH: At Pittsburgh—the double overtime win—was really awesome. As far as the defense, we didn't have a really good day and it wasn't really great for us. But that moment when we won in double overtime and we were all rushing over together and in a pile. It was really, really cool to be in an NFL stadium and in an away environment and being able to enjoy that moment.
GoDuke.com: What is one lesson competing in football has taught you that you will keep with you?
DH: How important it is for your community, or whoever you are around, ultimately for your quality of life. It is so important how the people you surround yourself will impact your life. I have realized how great this organization—Duke football, Duke athletics, Duke academics—this whole culture here is just fantastic and it makes your life so much better when you're surrounding yourself with people that are so great. It definitely makes all facets of your life better.
GoDuke.com: What has been your proudest academic achievement here at Duke?
DH: I would say this latest NFF Collegiate National Scholar Athlete thing is probably the coolest thing I have gotten. Being able to be a part of such a select group, it makes me see in reflection how unbelievable this community has been for me and how much it has built me into a candidate for such an award. For me to go up and represent Duke, I am so happy and proud to be able to be a person that can do that. Ultimately, again, I see this whole community that has built me up into the person I am and it is really rewarding in all kinds of fronts.
GoDuke.com: What does it mean to you to put on that Duke jersey and helmet every Saturday?
DH: It's definitely a name that is something that you're very proud of when people ask you who you are; to be able to say you're a Duke student, you're a Duke football player, you're a Duke scholar athlete, all of the above—it's really cool to say and be able to be a part of that. More specifically for football, being able to put the Duke football brand on me every single day is really exciting because I feel like a personal investment in being able to be a part of the building process as a player who has been through the tough times and who been through the best times. Being able to know and understand that I've been a part of that process, whether it is small or big fashion, is extremely awesome. As I look around and see the Duke football brand, I can honestly say that I helped build that and I think every player on this team and every player in the past can say that.
GoDuke.com: What are you going to miss the most after your time here at Duke is over?
DH: I am going to miss all of the people. I am going to miss my coaches and my teammates. I have been around them so much, and it is hard for me to think about. That is going to be so unbelievably tough. Seeing all of these guys that have been such an integral part of who I am for the past four years, it's going to be tough not being able to see them anymore on a regular basis. These are the guys who will be at my wedding. These are not your high school friends who you think will be the best friends, these are the guys who will be there for the rest of my life who have helped build me into the person I am.
GoDuke.com: Do you have any pregame rituals that you go through?
DH: I kind of vary. Consistently, I try to stay calm. I don't listen to music. I relax. I visualize what I am going to do that day, whether it is something that I focused on the whole week. With Georgia Tech I focused on not getting cut; that's a big thing they do. I visualize that. I visualize making tackles every week. There are certain things that I try to visualize before the game with no music. Right before I go out there, I will turn on some music on my iPhone, usually some electronic dance music. I try to get riled up before I go out there and get all excited. That's usually my pregame ritual.
GoDuke.com: Is there one specific play that sticks out in your mind?
DH: There have been several, but the most namely one I can think of was last year against Virginia Tech, when I was a huge part of this fourth down stop. It was 4th and inches, they ran a sweep play and I came over and hit the running back before he was able to get in. That was a really awesome play for me. I think if you look back and watch it on TV, you notice me in the pile, and it wasn't probably a huge play on TV, but I remember being a part of it and it was really exciting for me.
GoDuke.com: What would you say is your favorite uniform combination?
DH: Black jersey, black pants, and blue helmet.
GoDuke.com: What are your three go-to restaurants in Durham?
DH: Without a doubt, Nosh. My girlfriend and I are probably singlehandedly why that place stays open. I go to Nosh all of the time. I love Q-Shack. It's a great place to go to when you're trying to get a little bit out of the Duke area. The third one would be Sushi Love. Sushi Love and Nosh are both places we go to an unhealthy amount. Those are great places.
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