DURHAM, N.C. -- A few years ago, Duke assistant coach Derek Jones dubbed his young defensive backs “the cheetahs.” The group relished the nickname, and in the years since, it’s done a fine job of living up to the imagery -- a quick, skilled unit capable of attacking all over the field.
Up front, things haven’t been as colorfully productive for the Blue Devils, however, and so this spring, new line coach Ben Albert tried to create the same mentality -- not of a group of cheetahs showcasing their speed, but as a bull-rushing quartet focused on attacking the quarterback.