David Shumate Sits Down with Darius Joiner
David Shumate, GoDuke The Magazine
This interview originally appeared in the 14.3 Issue of GoDuke the Magazine -- October 2022.
David Shumate: I want to get into a bunch of stuff, and we’ll get into the Duke portion of your career in just a second, but I’m curious when you go way back — what do you remember about how you first got into football?
Darius Joiner: For me, I didn’t get a chance to start playing football like everyone else did. I didn’t do my homework in kindergarten — that’s when all my friends started playing and that’s when my mom instilled in me that I needed to do my schoolwork before I could even start thinking about playing sports. When I started playing football I started as a quarterback and then I transitioned into playing safety and it’s kind of like the same position, just on the other side of the ball because I know how the quarterbacks are trying to manipulate me and get me to move. That comes from how I was taught to play quarterback and the importance of manipulating the safety, to be able to throw away from them. That’s what made me fall in love with the game, that strategic, competitive side of it. That’s still the fire that keeps me going today.
DS: I know basketball was also a piece of it for you growing up, but as you were getting down to where you wanted to go and what sport you wanted to play collegiately, how hard was the decision to play football instead of basketball?
DJ: It was really tough. I had an offer from Mississippi State to play basketball, but it was for 75 percent of a scholarship, and I had a full scholarship offer from Jacksonville State. I didn’t even sign on signing day because I was still thinking about whether or not I wanted to go the football or basketball route and I needed a few days to clear my mind and I think ultimately, I made the right decision.
DS: Your time in college has obviously overlapped with a time when the rules across the country in terms of transferring changed, and I know you’ve had multiple stops along the way. You mentioned Jacksonville State, you also went to Western Illinois and now you end up at Duke for your final season. I’m curious how you feel generally about the new rules and the freedom student-athletes have now to play at multiple schools?
DJ: I think it’s great that kids have the opportunity to leave and find other opportunities. I obviously love the coaching staff we have here, but it’s a reality that the coaches anywhere could leave tomorrow if they wanted to, and the bond I have with them would be leaving as well. I chose to come to Duke based on the relationships I built with them and others, so I think generally that freedom to transfer is a good thing. I think it should be for people who put their all into something and who now need an opportunity, including someone who is working really hard but is behind a superstar on the depth chart and wants an opportunity to play somewhere else. I think it’s great for people like that.
DS: You were obviously an All-American last year; I think you finished sixth in the country in terms of the voting for Defensive Player of the Year at the FCS level. Take me through what that year was like. Did I see correctly that you had 23 tackles in a single game? How is that even possible?
DJ: I just give all the credit to God; I think he gave me so much ability and I just try to put what he gave me on display every time I step on the field.
DS: Let’s discuss choosing to come to Duke. You’ve touched on this a little but already, but I would assume part of the reasoning in choosing to play for Mike Elko is the opportunity to play at the next level. His track record in regard to sending guys to the league speaks for itself, but factoring everything in, what ultimately landed you here in Durham?
DJ: Well as a lot of people already know, I was a Duke fan growing up so when they reached out it was a dream come true because I always envisioned playing here. At that time it was basketball I was dreaming about but this opportunity with football was perfect. They’ve developed a lot of great safeties over the years, and we spent some time going over the scheme and how they use safeties within the defense, and I felt like I could see myself fitting in great with that plan. Now that I’m here I just want to be able to show that I’m one of the best safeties in the ACC and the country and they’re certainly helping me do that.
DS: Alright, since you opened the door, tell me about your nickname growing up. I know it was “Duke” — where did that come from?
DJ: I think my uncle gave it to me since I was such a big fan, but to be honest I have a ton of nicknames. They call me “Krown” with a “K” because I’m a Kappa. I just had a lot of nicknames. But that one, Duke, was really just a family nickname for me growing up.
DS: You mentioned how much you loved Duke Basketball . What were some of your favorite teams and favorite players?
DJ: J.J. Redick, Kyrie Irving and then as I’ve gotten older Zion Williamson. Obviously Nolan Smith is in there — those guys just kept me in love with the game.
DS: I’m sure you’ve had a chance to walk through Cameron. As someone who grew up a fan what has that experience been like – had you been to a game before?
DJ: I’ve never been to a game before, and I can’t wait to get to one this year. It’s going to be incredible when I get to go to my first game.
DS: 35 and 10, I think, is what you said you’d be able to get for Jon Scheyer. Those are very specific numbers (for points and rebounds). How did you settle on those?
DJ: It’s kind of like an average for me, but I know I’d have to come off the bench since they have a great point guard in Jeremy Roach. I actually just saw him in the hallway. I don’t want to step on his toes since I know he’s headed for the NBA and I’m eyeing the NFL. So I’m good with letting him shine — I just want to be the back story, something small.
DS: Alright, back to football now. You lead the team in tackling, and you said you came here knowing that you could show what you could do at the Power 5 level. It’s one thing to know you can do it and it’s another thing to see it happen. How rewarding is it for you to see that come to fruition?
DJ: Right now, I’m not focused on that. We’re in the middle of the season and I feel like I have so much room for improvement and for me personally, and the team as a whole we have so many areas where we can get better, and we can grow. That’s all we’re locked in on now. We’re just trying to elevate every practice and elevate every day and not look forward to the future but look forward to the “now,” and if we look forward to the “now” and focus on getting better every day I feel like the sky is the limit for us.
DS: You mentioned that growth. What’s the biggest difference you’ve seen in the team when you look back at camp and the work you’ve put in over the summer to now, and what do you still need to do as you look toward the stretch run of league play?
DJ: Right now, the big thing for us is communication, just making sure we’re all on the same page. I feel like there’s no game we’re going to play where we’re just outmatched from a talent perspective. As long as we communicate and keep everybody on the same page, I feel like we can play with anyone.
DS: You had a chance to get an interception earlier this year in the game against Virginia. You probably don’t have to fight your teammates very often to get one, but it looked like you weren’t going to let Brandon Johnson have that one…
DJ: Yeah, Brandon and I grabbed it almost simultaneously but he’s a great player and he’ll be here for many more years and then into the NFL. But I’m leaving this year so I need my interceptions now, so I just couldn’t let him have that one.
DS: When you look at the secondary, one of the big storylines was the fact that there were going to be several new faces back there this year. You and [Datrone] Speedy Young coming in via the transfer portal and mixing in some young guys as well, but it feels like that transition has gone really smooth. How have you guys been able to gel so quickly?
DJ: Well, Speedy is my roommate and Jaylen Stinson is from Alabama, so we were 30 minutes apart, so it was somewhat easy for us to gel. We just talk a lot, we hang out a lot, we’re joking all the time and just that constant communication makes it easier for us to be hard on each other when we need to in practice. That openness has been the biggest thing in making this work so quickly.
DS: One of the things the coaches talked about going into the season was getting the culture in the program where they wanted it. You were a part of that when it comes to bringing that winning mentality here. Are you surprised at all by how quickly it has taken hold?
DJ: No sir, I expect to win every game. Any time we lose it haunts me, thinking about plays that I could have made, or things I could have done differently. But the overall mentality never changes. We always want to go out there and be the best versions of ourselves, and the biggest battle is actually with yourself, the mental battle with yourself. Just being good isn’t good enough — you need to strive to be great and do more. That’s the mental battle we fight every day just like so many teams across the country, so we’re just trying to beat them and ourselves every time we play.
DS: I’ll let you go on this — I feel like a big part of the defense’s success is the fact that you are such a physical group. Not everyone is wired to want to go hit somebody, but I feel like that’s a big part of your game. Why do you enjoy that part of the game so much?
DJ: Because I knew how it felt when I played offense and someone hit me. I couldn’t do anything about it so now I just want to return the favor to them.
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