Clyde Duncan

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Clyde Duncan

| number = 86

| position = Wide receiver

| birth_date = {{birth date|1961|02|5}}

| birth_place = Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|2|16|1961|02|5}}

| death_place = Fort Washington, Maryland, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 202

| high_school = Oxon Hill (MD) Potomac[http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=740&pg=58 1979 Signees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041130/http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=740&pg=58 |date=March 4, 2016 }}, 1979 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide, p. 56.

| college = Tennessee

| draftyear = 1984

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 17

| pastteams =

St. Louis Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1984|1985}})
Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1987}})*

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 4

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 39

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 1

| pfr = DuncCl20

}}

Clyde Louis Duncan, Jr. (February 5, 1961 – February 16, 2015){{Cite web |title=CLYDE DUNCAN Obituary (2015) - Dunkirk, MD - The Washington Post |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/clyde-duncan-obituary?id=6140021 |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Legacy.com}} was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. Duncan was a first-round pick for the Cardinals in the 1984 NFL draft, but he only played in 1984 and 1985, finishing his career with just four receptions.Palmer, Pete; Pullis, Ken; Lahman, Sean; Silverman, Matthew; Gillette, Gary. The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia: First Edition, p. 201. ESPN Books, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1-4027-4216-3}}.

Early life

Duncan attended Potomac High School, in Oxon Hill, Maryland.Southeast Missourian. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19840502&id=y7UfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=htcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2603,138341 "Cards make surprise drafts"]. Associated Press, May 2, 1984, p. 9. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. Playing at both receiver and tailback for Potomac's football team, he accumulated 2,209 yards his senior year, including 958 yards receiving and 808 yards rushing, and was named a high school All-American by Football News and the Maryland Player of the Year by the Washington Pigskin Club.

Duncan played college football at Tennessee from 1979 to 1983.{{Cite web |last=Shaw |first=Taylor |date=2015-02-24 |title=Former 1st-round NFL draft pick, Vols WR Clyde Duncan dies |url=https://www.wate.com/news/former-1st-round-nfl-draft-pick-vols-wr-clyde-duncan-dies/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=WATE 6 On Your Side |language=en-US}} Along with teammates Willie Gault, Anthony Hancock, Lenny Taylor and Tim McGee, he helped create the school's reputation as "Wide Receiver U."Mike Strange, "[http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/sep/30/vols-were-sugar-sweet/?print=1 Vols Were Sugar Sweet]", Knoxnews.com, September 30, 2012. Retrieved: July 10, 2013. He played sparingly in 1979, redshirted in 1980, played as a defensive back in 1981, and played primarily as a reserve receiver in 1982.[http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=198&pg=43 1983 Squad] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113230933/http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=198&pg=43 |date=November 13, 2013 }}, 1983 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide, p. 45. In 1983, however, he led the team in receiving with 33 catches for 640 yards and six touchdowns.[http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=747&pg=93 1983 Offensive Statistics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113230435/http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=747&pg=93 |date=November 13, 2013 }}, 1984 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide, p. 91. He caught touchdown passes of 80 yards and 57 yards in Tennessee's 41–34 win over Alabama,"[http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=747&pg=88 Fierce Offensive Struggle Swings UT's Way on Johnnie Jones' Scamper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113231048/http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/fbpro/main.php?bid=747&pg=88 |date=November 13, 2013 }}", 1984 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide, p. 87. and his 85-yard touchdown catch against Vanderbilt remains the third-longest in school history.[http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-footbl/guides/2012/records.pdf Individual Football Records] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113625/http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-footbl/guides/2012/records.pdf |date=March 4, 2016 }}, UTSports.com, p. 332. He attracted close attention from scouts for his workout performance at the 1983 Blue–Gray Football Classic.Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19831225&id=h1dWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2715,4583202 "Tennessee's Duncan dazzling pro scouts"]. December 25, 1983, p. C2. Retrieved on July 18, 2013.

Professional football career

Duncan was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL draft by the Cardinals.{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Duncan's rookie year was disrupted by a contract dispute,Reading Eagle. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19840729&id=swIiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AKYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4375,6405600 "Notes"]. July 29, 1984, p. 99. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. and he did not sign with the Cardinals until September 10.Southeast Missourian (Cape Girardeau, Mo.). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19840909&id=FbofAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dtcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2828,822208 "Duncan to sign with Cardinals"]. September 9, 1984, p. 27. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. He soon separated his shoulder, sending him to the injured reserve list.St. Petersburg Times. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19841016&id=5JtjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qXwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6776,223818 "NFL notes"]. October 16, 1984, p. 3C. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. In 1985, Duncan did work his way into the lineup, but caught only four passes on the seasonPalmer et al., p. 201. and lost his role as third receiver.Clayton, John. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19851014&id=1-wdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jmIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7047,9508471 "Lethargic Cardinals sink deeper in loss to Eagles"]. Pittsburgh Press, October 14, 1985, p. C6. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. The Cardinals released Duncan on August 18, 1986.Palm Beach Post. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19860819&id=AvojAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P9sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3505,6840274 "Transactions"]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. August 19, 1986, p. 6C. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. Duncan was subsequently acquired by the Cleveland Browns in the spring of 1987,Gadsden Times. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19870317&id=c8lGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sP0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4370,3793895 "Deals"]. March 17, 1987, p. C2. Retrieved on July 18, 2013. but he was released at the start of preseasonSpokesman-Review. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19870803&id=EFpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ge8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1477,2179920 "Moves"]. August 3, 1987, p. C4. and did not appear in another NFL game.

He died at the age of 54 in 2015.Tom Mattingly, "[http://www.knoxnews.com/govolsxtra/football/clyde-duncan-part-of-wide-receiver-u-at-ut-dies-at-54_78138995 Clyde Duncan, Part of 'Wide Receiver U,' Dies at 54]", Knoxville News Sentinel, February 23, 2015.{{Cite web |date=February 23, 2015|agency=Associated Press |title=Former 1st-round NFL draft pick, Vols WR Clyde Duncan dies |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/02/23/former-1st-round-nfl-draft-pick-vols-wr-clyde-duncan-dies/23903165/ |access-date=2021-06-10 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

References

Category:1961 births

Category:2015 deaths

Category:People from Oxon Hill, Maryland

Category:Players of American football from Prince George's County, Maryland

Category:American football wide receivers

Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players

Category:St. Louis Cardinals (football) players

Category:NFL replacement players