Duce Staley

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Duce Staley (born February 27, 1975 in Lexington, South Carolina) is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He works as a sideline reporter for football radio broadcasts of the University of South Carolina on the Gamecock Sports Radio Network. Staley also hosts a daily sports talk program called "The Halftime Show" from 1 to 4 PM on 107.5 the Game, WNKT FM, in Columbia, South Carolina.

Early years

Staley attended Airport High School in West Columbia, South Carolina and was an All-State wide receiver, as he did not play running back until college.

College career

As a senior at the University of South Carolina in 1996, Staley was ranked 13th in the nation in rushing with 1,116 rushing yards. In his South Carolina years, he attempted 345 rushes for 1,582 yards (4.58 per average). He also caught 59 passes for 489 yards and two touchdowns.

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Staley was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1997 NFL Draft and played for the Eagles through the 2003 season. After his rookie season and the departure of Ricky Watters, Staley became the starter in a tumultuous 3-13 season which led to the dismissal of head coach Ray Rhodes. Under Andy Reid, Staley developed into the team's perennial leading receiver through Reid's screen-heavy West Coast offense. However, he played in only five games of the 2000 season due to a serious Lisfranc fracture. Staley also missed some playing time in 2001 due to a shoulder injury. Entering the 2003 season, Staley held-out of training camp in an attempt to bargain for a new contract, as he was in the last year of his deal. With Correll Buckhalter coming back from an ACL tear and Brian Westbrook entering his second season, the Eagles decided not to budge. This resulted in shared playing time between the three, as Westbrook became the premier back by season's end. They were known as the "Three Headed Monster". Consequently, the Eagles decided to not re-sign Staley.

Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2004, Staley became the number one running back for his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he scored few touchdowns as handoffs in the redzone went to veteran back Jerome Bettis. After Staley was injured in mid-2004, Bettis took over the starting job.

In 2005, after both he and Bettis were injured, Willie Parker, an undrafted free agent, had a stellar season, and Staley, in another injury plagued season, was dropped to third string, managing only 148 yards in five games, with a 3.9 yard per carry average.

Despite a preseason in which he ran for just 92 yards on 42 carries, Staley made the Steelers' 53-man roster in 2006. After week one, the Steelers signed former Packers' running back Najeh Davenport to replace him as the Steelers' power back. The true signal of Staley's demise was when third-down back Verron Haynes went down with a season-ending injury, and the Steelers promoted John Kuhn from the practice squad instead of activating Staley. On December 3, 2006, the Steelers released Staley.^[1] In his three year tenure with the team, Staley played in just 16 games.

Retirement

Staley officially retired as a Philadelphia Eagle during the Eagles-Giants game on December 9, 2007. At halftime, Staley was escorted onto the field by former teammates for his retirement celebration featuring a brief ceremony and two highlight videos.

Statistics

Personal

Staley is single and has a daughter, Shakia, and a son, Damani Zihir. He is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, which is where he resided during the offseason. It may have been tough for Staley to spell "chrysanthemum" but it wasn't difficult for the selection panel of the American Advertising Federation to choose that NFL/United Way spot as a winner of a 2001 ADDY Award for creative advertising, hosted a pizza party for 100 foster children from the Camden (NJ) Division of Youth and Family Services and their foster families at the Camden Children's Garden in 2001, underwent a grueling yet innovative rehabilitation period prior to the 2001 season to become the first successful return from a Lis Franc injury. He annually holds The Duce Staley Football Camp at West Chester (PA) University, which benefits several charities, including First Steps Program in South Carolina, the Variety Club and Direct Care for Kids. He launched Catch 22 Foundation to help single mothers. He donated $25,000 to South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges First Steps early childhood education program in 1999 (Dec. 23) to help improve education in the state.

References

1. ^ http://mondesishouse.blogspot.com/2006/12/well-miss-you-duce.html

External links

• Pittsburgh Steelers Profile
• Duce Staley at NFL.com
• Pro-Football-Reference.com - Current Stats

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