Walt Canty (4) recorded a season-high 14 tackles in Duke's 42-17 win over Virginia. Credit: CHRIS SEWARD
In case you missed it yesterday and don't hang on my every tweet, Duke S Walt Canty was named the ACC's defensive back of the week. It's the second week in a row that a Duke DB has won the honor. In fact, the Blue Devils have won three of last four conference DB of the week awards (Ross Cockrell after NC Central, Jordon Byas after Wake Forest and now Canty after Virginia).
Canty recorded a season-high 14 tackles in the victory, including a career-high three tackles for loss. All three tackles for loss came on key downs late in the game, including a 4th-and-1 in the third quarter with Duke leading 21-17 and a 3rd-and-2 in the fourth quarter with Duke ahead 35-17.
Canty, one of Duke's four captains, is the only starting safety who has not missed time with an injury this year.
"The interesting part in judging that was those four, it was incredible," head coach David Cutcliffe said of the captains (Sean Renfree, Conner Vernon, Cockrell and Canty) Basically almost everybody on the team voted for them. When you have that kind of respect that they have from their teammates and they’re the kind of people they are, they’re going to carry us. Not just through games and adversity, they carry us through every practice.
"Walt Canty sometimes looks like he can’t walk, and Ross, too, at the end of a practice. It’s a thing of beauty to watch those guys lead."
