The entire city of Durham rejoiced on Saturday night when the Blue Devils beat the North Carolina Tar Heels, scoring three second-half touchdowns for a 20-point comeback, and a few former members of the team joined in from afar.
No former Blue Devil made his support more vocal than [autotag]DeWayne Carter[/autotag], the 2023 All-ACC First Team defensive tackle. Carter, who is also undefeated this season after the Buffalo Bills drafted him in the third round, never lost faith in the squad despite the early mistakes.
The Blue Devils took the lead with a little more than five minutes on the clock, and the defense clinched the game from there. Vincent Anthony Jr., Wesley Williams, and the pass rush forced a three-and-out on the first potential game-winning drive before linebacker Tre Freeman intercepted a pass from UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell on the second, cementing the win.
“NEVER A DOUBT MAN,” Carter wrote on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) in a series of posts celebrating the win.
https://twitter.com/Dewaynecarter0/status/1840176101600973155
https://twitter.com/Dewaynecarter0/status/1840176393461637467
Carter joined the Blue Devils in 2019 and spent the next five years with the program, finishing his collegiate career with 126 total tackles and 12 sacks in 52 games.
Fellow defensive line alum Ja’Mion Franklin, who spent three seasons with the Blue Devils from 2021-23, shared a short but sweet message after the victory.
https://twitter.com/Jamion_Franklin/status/1840178893921132692
Jacob Monk, a fellow member of the 2024 NFL draft class who ended up with the Green Bay Packers, highlighted the performance of running back Star Thomas. The New Mexico State transfer surpassed 200 yards of total offense, running for 166 and picking up 45 more as a receiver, and reached the end zone twice.
https://twitter.com/JacobMonk_/status/1840162418871210443
While Carter and the other former Blue Devils may not have suited up on Saturday, it’s obvious that they remain a part of the Duke football program in their hearts.