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Who Will Be This Year’s Honorary Football Captain?

Nominate a star performer to serve as employee captain for season home opener

Dink Suddaby on the football field serving as employee honorary captain
Dink Suddaby, a staff assistant with the Graduate Liberal Studies program, served as the honorary employee captain in 2016 and participated in the coin toss before the beginning of the first football game of the season.

Working@Duke is accepting nominations for honorary employee captain for Duke football’s opening game against North Carolina Central University on Sept. 2.

The title has been bestowed annually since 2012 to a faculty or staff member who goes above and beyond in the workplace.

Nominations must be submitted by Aug. 4 and highlight how the staff or faculty member excels in areas of Duke’s Guiding Principles, which are trustworthiness, respect, diversity, learning and teamwork.

As part of the recognition, the faculty or staff member will experience Duke football from a player's perspective the week of the game by taking part in team activities, such as:

  • Participating with head coach David Cutcliffe during a weekly press luncheon.
  • Running onto Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium with the football team before kickoff against North Carolina Central and participating in the pre-game coin toss with officials and team captains.
  • Watching the game from the sidelines.
  • Recording a video with a member of the team to broadcast during the game.

Last year’s honorary captain, Dink Suddaby said meeting Coach David Cutcliffe and running out with the team were her most memorable parts of the experience.  

“My adrenaline was pumping so hard after running out with the team that I barely remember going out for the coin toss,” said Suddaby, a staff assistant with the Graduate Liberal Studies program and a 32-year employee at Duke. “I get to meet so many of the players who come through the graduate program, and they are just great people. I know a lot of the guys I’m cheering for during the game.” 

Faculty and staff can nominate coworkers by filling out an online form. Nominators are encouraged to share details about why their nominee's performance in the office, classroom or lab should be recognized on the field as an honorary captain.

Nominations are due by noon Friday, Aug. 4. This year’s captain will be announced the week of Aug. 7.