As it turns out, not even the star of Duke University’s football team is exempt from the rules of classroom.
On Monday night, the Blue Devils — known primarily for their elite basketball program — stunned the nation when they upset ninth-ranked Clemson 28-7. The team was led by quarterback Riley Leonard, who finished with 175 passing yards and 98 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown. Forty-four of those rushing yards came by way of an electric run in the third quarter.
After the game, however, Leonard remembered something important: he had homework due at midnight. Knowing there was no way he’d be able to get to a computer in time, Leonard had someone record a video asking his professor for an extension on the due date.
The video did make its way to Professor Taylor. Unfortunately for Leonard, he wasn’t going to let him off the hook because of his on-field heroics.
“Hey, Riley. Great game last night,” Taylor said in a video. “It was so exciting. Congratulations to you and all your teammates.
“But you know Wesley Williams and the other linemen who are in the class? They said they prepared ahead and did it ahead of time, so why didn’t the quarterback? So no way, man. No extension.”
While many will surely disagree with Taylor’s decision to still punish Leonard after a program-defining performance, it should be a reminder to all student-athletes that the “student” aspect of their title comes first.
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