Anthony Boone Senior Profile

DURHAM, N.C. -- Recently, GoDuke.com sat down with senior Anthony Boone to learn more about the Weddington, N.C. native.

GoDuke.com: What has been your favorite place to compete as a football player at Duke?
Anthony Boone: First, obviously Wallace Wade; it's just fun to be here at home. The Pascal Field House was a great addition to our facilities, being able to have scrimmages, and when it rains being able to have intersquad stuff indoors is a lot of fun, a good atmosphere, when we close it down it's really loud, a lot of energy. But as far as road games, definitely Virginia Tech, Lane Stadium is one of the more fun environments I've been in so far.

GoDuke.com: What's a road trip memory you'll always have with you?
AB: Probably going to Virginia Tech last year and getting the win in a hostile environment, on the road in tough game- when they were ranked.

GoDuke.com: What's one lesson that you've learned through your time at Duke that you'll be able to take with you going forward?
AB: Just respecting the process of doing whatever it takes to get where you want to be, to never give up. Because at some point or another, you never know how close you are to accomplishing that goal. So that's definitely the biggest thing I've learned being a football player at Duke is to respect the process, and sooner or later good things will come from it.

GoDuke.com: What would you say has been your proudest academic achievement during your time at Duke?
AB: Academically, I feel like my proudest achievement is making it through four years without losing all my hair. Really I feel the biggest jump I made academically is the relationships that I built with the faculty and staff here. The professors here on campus are great people, every single one of them has a special place with me, a good rapport, whether it be in or outside the classroom, meeting people that really care about who you are and how you grow academically, rather than just athletics. I feel like that is a huge academic accomplishment for me, putting myself in a good situation to be at a great institution surrounded by a great faculty and staff.

GoDuke.com: What does it mean to you to be able to represent Duke?
AB: It means a lot, just being able to represent the guys that played before me, and the guys my freshman and sophomore year, that struggled, that fought hard, that worked hard and didn't get to see the outcome that we are seeing now. It's just like I am wearing the jerseys for guys like Abraham Kromah, guys like Matt Daniels, guys like Conner Vernon, guys like Donovan Varner that that put in the work, that put in the effort, but didn't get a chance to see the outcome, but who still come back and support us and text us and are really proud. It's an honor to be a part a family tradition that those guys created for us.

GoDuke.com: What do you think you'll miss most about Duke?
AB: The locker room atmosphere, just being around a bunch of guys who really bought into the process Coach Cutt had taught us, the process of believing in something that we haven't seen yet. And that is just going to be a tough thing to reenact because it's so genuine and so pure. What we have here is truly a family-like atmosphere, and it's probably the biggest thing I miss are the guys in the locker room, from when I was a freshman to this year as a redshirt senior.

GoDuke.com: Do you have any pregame rituals that you follow?
AB: I think the biggest thing is after the coin toss I'll always say a quick prayer before the game. I definitely like to after we come in, get my ankles taped, go out throw a little bit, come back in, stretch, listen to a bit of music. The locker room is where I like to be my most loose and not serious, and once I step onto the field it's like a zen focus for three and a half hours, and after that I'll smile and be happy about whatever outcome we had.

GoDuke.com: Do you have a favorite uniform combination?
AB: Absolutely. My favorite uniform combination is the blue-black-blue—blue pants, black jersey, blue helmet—because that's the jersey we wore when we beat Virginia in my very first start. So that will always be a strong jersey favorite of mine.

GoDuke.com: What are your three favorite restaurants in the Durham area?
AB: Dame's Chicken and Waffles is definitely up there. Dane's on Ninth Street is definitely one of my favorite places. And I'm going to say Parker and Otis.

GoDuke.com: Do you find yourself modeling your game after anyone?
AB: It's tough to say honestly. I'd have to say Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, but those guys are all unique in their own way. I try to find ways that they find throwing lanes and get it over tall defenders. I kind of look at how those guys who obviously use a lot of play action and big drops, but at the same time still throwing quick routes, throwing between lanes. As far as overall game, I feel I'm a little bit different, I'm not the fastest downhill guy but I have elusiveness and quickness to get open in space. I guess I probably have to say like a Donovan McNabb-type, a kind of bigger body guy.

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