Upcoming Event: Football at Syracuse on September 27, 2025 at 12 p.m.
/
12 p.m.
Football
at Syracuse
More Preseason All-America Honors Roll in for Two Blue Devils
7/24/2020 11:30:00 AM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – Redshirt juniors Damond Philyaw-Johnson and Chris Rumph II were recently selected to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Team.
Â
Both garnered fourth team honors from the organization with Philyaw-Johnson being recognized as a kickoff return specialist and Rumph II as a defensive end. This is not the first time this duo has received preseason All-America praise though this season. Philyaw-Johnson was tabbed to the Phil Steele and Sporting News preseason All-America list, while Rumph was named a preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Â
A native of Pensacola, Fla., Philyaw-Johnson has compiled 637 all-purpose yards (88 receiving, 549 kickoff return) throughout his career (29.0 avg/g)Â and is tied with two others for third all-time on Duke's career kickoff return for TD chart. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver matched the NCAA single-game record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Wake Forest in 2019. Those two kickoff returns for scores in a single game marked just the second time in ACC history a player achieved the feat.
Â
His 251 kickoff return yards versus the Demon Deacons also marked the highest single-game total in school history, while his 98-yarder in that contest tied him with Shaun Wilson for the 10th longest return in program history. In 22 career games, Philyaw-Johnson has 17 returns, 549 yards (32.29 average) and two touchdowns.
Â
Rumph II has seen action in every game so far in his Duke career (25) and owns 72 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four pass breakups and 13 quarterback pressures. The Gainesville, Fla., product has 16 games with 2+ tackles, including a career-high eight stops against Miami in 2019. He recorded 2.0+ tackles for loss five times with a career-best 4.0 coming at Georgia Tech in 2018 and at Middle Tennessee in 2019. The 4.0 tackles for loss matched the Duke single-game freshman record (2018) and rank him tied for seventh on the program's overall single-game TFL chart (2x).
Â
Rumph II earned 6.5 sacks in 2019 to place him tied with Phillip Alexander (2003) for ninth all-time on Duke's single-season charts. He heads into his redshirt junior season riding a 20-game tackle streak, dating back to Oct. 13, 2018 and is ranked as the No. 2 returning edge defender in the country by ESPN.com.
Â
Duke is set to kick off the 2020 season at home on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Middle Tennessee. Game details have yet to be determined.
Season tickets are available online at www.GoDuke.com/FootballTix or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 919-681-2583.
Â
Â
Both garnered fourth team honors from the organization with Philyaw-Johnson being recognized as a kickoff return specialist and Rumph II as a defensive end. This is not the first time this duo has received preseason All-America praise though this season. Philyaw-Johnson was tabbed to the Phil Steele and Sporting News preseason All-America list, while Rumph was named a preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Â
A native of Pensacola, Fla., Philyaw-Johnson has compiled 637 all-purpose yards (88 receiving, 549 kickoff return) throughout his career (29.0 avg/g)Â and is tied with two others for third all-time on Duke's career kickoff return for TD chart. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver matched the NCAA single-game record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Wake Forest in 2019. Those two kickoff returns for scores in a single game marked just the second time in ACC history a player achieved the feat.
Â
His 251 kickoff return yards versus the Demon Deacons also marked the highest single-game total in school history, while his 98-yarder in that contest tied him with Shaun Wilson for the 10th longest return in program history. In 22 career games, Philyaw-Johnson has 17 returns, 549 yards (32.29 average) and two touchdowns.
Â
Rumph II has seen action in every game so far in his Duke career (25) and owns 72 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four pass breakups and 13 quarterback pressures. The Gainesville, Fla., product has 16 games with 2+ tackles, including a career-high eight stops against Miami in 2019. He recorded 2.0+ tackles for loss five times with a career-best 4.0 coming at Georgia Tech in 2018 and at Middle Tennessee in 2019. The 4.0 tackles for loss matched the Duke single-game freshman record (2018) and rank him tied for seventh on the program's overall single-game TFL chart (2x).
Â
Rumph II earned 6.5 sacks in 2019 to place him tied with Phillip Alexander (2003) for ninth all-time on Duke's single-season charts. He heads into his redshirt junior season riding a 20-game tackle streak, dating back to Oct. 13, 2018 and is ranked as the No. 2 returning edge defender in the country by ESPN.com.
Â
Duke is set to kick off the 2020 season at home on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Middle Tennessee. Game details have yet to be determined.
Season tickets are available online at www.GoDuke.com/FootballTix or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 919-681-2583.
Â
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
DE
/ FootballCoach Diaz Postgame: NC State
Saturday, September 20
Wesley Williams Postgame: NC State
Saturday, September 20
Sahmir Hagans Postgame: NC State
Saturday, September 20
Tre Freeman Postgame: NC State
Saturday, September 20
