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Mike Hart Named Duke Football MVP At Annual Banquet
12/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. - Junior tight end Mike Hart was named the recipient of the
Carmen Falcone Most Valuable Player Award at Duke University's annual
football banquet held on Sunday evening at the Hilton in Durham, N.C.
Hart led Duke in receiving with 31 catches for 540 yards and was named Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference for his efforts. Hart, who also received Duke's Outstanding Receiver honor, led all ACC tight ends in both pass receptions and receiving yards. He concluded the 2000 season having caught at least one pass in the last 12 games dating back to the 1999 campaign. His top outings this fall included a six-reception, 79-yard day against Maryland and a four-catch, 100-yard afternoon at Wake Forest.
Other award winners included Alex Wade (Mike Suglia Award), Brian Morton (Outstanding Special Teams Player), Troy Austin (Outstanding Defensive Lineman), Todd DeLamielleure (Co-Outstanding Linebacker), Ryan Fowler (Co-Outstanding Linebacker), Ronnie Hamilton (Outstanding Defensive Back), John Miller (Outstanding Offensive Lineman), Chris Douglas (Co-Outstanding Offensive Back), Duane Epperson (Co-Outstanding Offensive Back), Fred Harris (Ace Parker Award) and Bobby Campbell (Trinity "Most Inspirational" Award). In addition, Troy Andrew, Spencer Romine, Austin and DeLamielleure received Captain Awards.
Wade, a redshirt freshman running back from Newtown, Pa., earned the Mike Suglia Award which is given to an outstanding second-year football player who best exemplifies the total student-athlete. Wade played in nine games this season, rushing 20 times for 66 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 78 yards.
Morton, a senior punter from Auburndale, Fla., received the Outstanding Special Teams Player after leading the ACC and finishing second nationally in punting with his 45.2 yards per kick average. He went on to earn First Team All-ACC honors as well as First Team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.
Austin, a senior defensive tackle from Orange, N.J., was named the Outstanding Defensive Lineman. A team captain, Austin totalled 32 tackles in 2000 with eight tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback sacks.
DeLamielleure, a junior inside linebacker from Durham, N.C., and Fowler, a freshman outside linebacker from Redington Shores, Fla., shared the Outstanding Linebacker honor. DeLamielleure finished the year with 85 tackles including six tackles for loss. He now has 263 career tackles in three seasons.
Fowler led the Blue Devils in total tackles (87), tackles for loss (13) and quarterback sacks (7). His sack total matches the fourth-highest single-season total in Duke history. His top performances of the season included a 12-tackle, two-sack outing at Florida State and a 12-tackle, one-interception showing against Vanderbilt. For the year, Fowler registered nine or more tackles in seven contests.
Hamilton, a junior cornerback from Oxford, N.C., received the Outstanding Defensive Back accolade after finishing the season with 63 tackles. He also tied for the team lead in interceptions with two while pacing the Blue Devil in pass breakups with six. Hamilton currently stands sixth on Duke's all-time PBU list with 21.
Miller, a junior offensive guard from Bassett, Va., earned the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman honor. He started all 11 games for the Blue Devils in 2000, leading the club in knockdown blocks with 60. In addition to allowing just three sacks on the season, Miller posted top performances against N.C. State (10 knockdown blocks) and Virginia (9 knockdown blocks).
Douglas, a redshirt freshman tailback from Sherrills Ford, N.C., and Epperson, a senior tailback from Falls Church, Va., were co-recipients of the Outstanding Offensive Player award. Douglas, who also finished third in the ACC while leading all freshmen nationally in all-purpose yardage, led Duke in rushing yards (503), touchdowns (7) and scoring (42 points) and added 22 pass receptions for 168 yards. Epperson was second on the team in rushing yards (400) and finished his career with 1,126 yards on the ground. He also was third on the team in receiving with 23 catches for 146 yards.
Harris, a senior safety from Pine Springs, Minn., was honored with the Ace Parker Award, which is presented annually to a member of the Blue Devil program who embodies the hard work and dedication to Duke football that earned Ace Parker a spot in the College and Professional Halls of Fame. In 2000, Harris battled through injury to record 40 tackles, two pass interceptions and a pair of pass breakups.
Campbell, a senior quarterback from Hicksville, N.Y., received the Trinity "Most Inspirational" Award for his sacrifice and team dedication this season. A reserve quarterback who finished his career with over 2,500 passing yards, Campbell saw action both on special teams and as a receiver on offense in 2000.
Andrew, a senior center from Klein, Texas, and Romine, a senior quarterback from Cullman, Ala., joined Austin and DeLamielleure in receiving Captain's Award. After finishing second on the team with 56 knockdown blocks in 2000, Andrew closed out a career which saw him play in 44 straight games while starting his last 33 contests. He will represent Duke at the Hula Bowl in Maui, Hawaii on January 20, 2001.
Romine finished his injury-plagued career as one of the top quarterbacks in Duke history. On the all-time Blue Devil charts, he ranks seventh in passing yards (3,545), seventh in pass attempts (573), eighth in pass completions (281) and 10th in total offense (3,520). He also owns the ninth-best single-game passing total in school history with his 404-yard outing against Maryland in 1999. In 2000, Romine completed 53-of-118 passes for 613 yards and a touchdown.
Duke Football Award Winners
| Name | Hometown | Award | Notes |
| Mike Hart | Sayville, N.Y. | Carmen Falcone MVP & Outstanding Receiver | All-ACC; 31 receptions for 540 yards |
| Alex Wade | Newtown, Pa. | Mike Suglia | 8 receptions for 78 yards |
| Brian Morton | Auburndale, Fla. | Outstanding Special Teams Player | All-America; All-ACC; 45.2 yards per punt |
| Troy Austin | Orange, N.J. | Outstanding Defensive Lineman & Captain Award | 32 tackles; 8 tackles for loss; 2 sacks |
| Todd DeLamielleure | Durham, N.C. | Co-Outstanding Linebacker & Captain Award | 85 tackles; 6 tackles for loss |
| Ryan Fowler | Redington Shores, Fla. | Co-Outstanding Linebacker | Team-best 87 tackles and 7 quarterback sacks |
| Ronnie Hamilton | Oxford, N.C. | Outstanding Defensive Back | 63 tackles; 2 interceptions; 6 pass breakups |
| John Miller | Bassett, Va. | Outstanding Offensive Lineman | Led Blue Devils in knockdown blocks (60) |
| Chris Douglas | Sherrills Ford, N.C. | Co-Outstanding Offensive Back | Led Duke in rushing yards (503) and TDs (7) |
| Duane Epperson | Falls Church, Va. | Co-Outstanding Offensive Back | 23 receptions for 146 yards; 400 rushing yards |
| Fred Harris | Pine Springs, Minn. | Ace Parker Award | 40 tackles; 2 interceptions; 2 PBUs |
| Bobby Campbell | Hicksville, N.Y. | Trinity "Most Inspirational" Award | Finished career with 2,675 passing yards |
| Troy Andrew | Klein, Texas | Captain Award | Three-year starter; played in 44 straight games |
| Spencer Romine | Cullman, Ala. | Captain Award | Ranks 10th all-time in total offense at Duke |
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