Sports have been a staple for Texas Tech linebacker Brian Duncan, but football has always claimed the top spot. His mother and father, Melanie and Mitchell, have seen him grow up playing America's favorite sport with an undeniable passion that he still possesses today.
As a redshirt sophomore for the Red Raiders, who went 11-2 in 2008, Duncan led the team with 89 tackles. Although Texas Tech fell short to Mississippi, 47-34, in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, Duncan's exceptional play was recognized in his being named All-Big12 Conference Honorable Mention.
The 6-1, 238-pound general business major generates great production off the field, too - he made the Academic All-Big 12 First Team as a redshirt freshman and regularly volunteers to help his community.
Along with incredible support from his family, Duncan is influenced by the life lessons playing football provides. USA Football Magazine recently spoke with Melanie Duncan to learn more about what football has taught her son.
When did Brian start playing football?
He started out in a local rec team here in Baton Rouge, La. He was 6 years old, and he's been playing ever since. My husband and I believed in giving our children every opportunity to make something of themselves, and an opportunity presented itself to put them into not just football but several different sports. We allowed them to pick out what sports they wanted to go into once they got out of the beginning stages, and football was Brian's area. When he made it to high school, he had the size and the experience to start on the varsity team as a freshman. He started out as a lineman, and as he grew in that position he was able to move over to middle linebacker and that became his natural position.
How did you stay involved in your son's youth football experience?
We went to every game and participated in the games. My husband was the assistant coach for awhile, and I was the coach of the cheerleading team. We just made it a family thing. We just let our children know that we were very proud of them. Any child wants the approval of their parents, and as long as we encouraged them and motivated them, that's what it took.
What has football taught your son?
It has taught him togetherness, sportsmanship, compassion for others and humility. And that's the one thing that I always remind him - the key to Brian's success is his humility and compassion for others. He's dedicated, and we taught him to not give up. He knows that it takes the whole team to make a difference.
How have other aspects of Brian's life been positively affected by football?
Who he is, the lessons that he's learned in life and the encouragement that he's gotten from his family have made him do well. He likes to satisfy, and that helps him perform well on the football team, and it makes him perform well in academics. Football is an outlet, but I think more than that, Brian takes it serious. Some people do things because they need to burn off some energy and some steam, but he's a very dedicated person, so it's not just that.
Why is it important to him to be a role model for others?
He's been in church all of his life, so he's got good biblical principles about loving and giving. He puts his all into that. On a job, the best employee is a person who loves their job. It's the same thing with this; he loves the people, he loves the community. It doesn't tire him out because he's happy.
How does it make you feel to see all the success your son is having, both on and off the field?
I am highly proud of him and how it makes me feel is overwhelming sometimes because you know this is meant to be, but actually seeing it come to pass can take an emotional toll on you. It's in a good way though, and I can't say enough about how proud I am of him, as well as all my children. He's a true leader. I just watch him, and knowing what his character is, it allows me to feed inspiration back to him.
