Austin Duke facts for kids
| Position: | Wide receiver |
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| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 3, 1993 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 171 lb (78 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Independence (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
| College: | Charlotte |
| Undrafted: | 2017 |
| Career history | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
Austin P. Duke was born on August 3, 1993. He is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver, which is a player who catches passes from the quarterback. Austin Duke started his professional career in 2017. He signed with the Carolina Panthers, a team in the National Football League (NFL). Before that, he played college football for the Charlotte team.
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College Football Journey
In 2013, Austin Duke began his college football career. He joined the Charlotte 49ers team. This was a special time because it was the first varsity football team for UNC Charlotte since 1948.
Duke was a very important player for the 49ers. He was the team's best receiver in all four of his seasons. By the time he finished college in 2016, he had set many records. He became their all-time leader in catches (253), receiving yards (3,437), and receiving touchdowns (24).
Professional Football Career
After his successful college career, Austin Duke moved on to play professional football. He played for several teams in different leagues.
Playing for the Carolina Panthers
On May 5, 2017, Austin Duke signed with the Carolina Panthers. This team is part of the National Football League (NFL), which is the biggest professional football league in the United States. He joined them as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't chosen in the NFL Draft but was signed by a team afterward.
During the 2017 NFL season, Duke spent his time on the Panthers' practice roster. A practice roster is a group of players who train with the team but don't usually play in games. They help the main team practice and are ready to step in if needed.
On January 1, 2018, the Panthers signed Duke to a "reserve future contract." This type of contract means a player is signed for the next season. Duke then took part in the Panthers' training camp. He played in four NFL preseason games. In these games, he caught 9 passes for a total of 69 yards. On September 1, 2018, Duke was released by the Panthers. This happened at the end of training camp.
Time with the Atlanta Legends
In early 2019, Austin Duke joined the Atlanta Legends training camp. This team was part of the Alliance of American Football, a new league at the time. Unfortunately, Duke got injured during this period. Because of his injury, he was not able to play for the team.
Joining the Toronto Argonauts
On May 27, 2019, Duke signed with the Toronto Argonauts. This team plays in the Canadian Football League (CFL), which is Canada's top professional football league. However, his time with the Argonauts was short. He was released by the team on June 7, 2019.
With the New York Guardians
Duke then signed with the New York Guardians on January 7, 2020. This team was part of the XFL, another new professional football league. For the Guardians, Austin Duke played as a punt returner. A punt returner is a player who catches punts (kicks) from the other team and tries to run them back for yards. The XFL league stopped its operations on April 10, 2020.
Playing for the Barcelona Dragons
On January 8, 2023, Austin Duke signed with the Barcelona Dragons. This team plays in the European League of Football (ELF). The ELF is a professional American football league based in Europe. Duke was released by the Dragons on May 18, 2023.
