Cane Ridge's Michael Reese on why he chose the Blue Devils: 'Duke is home'
The Tennessean has asked members of this year's Dandy Dozen to submit an essay in their own words why they signed with their school on Wednesday. Here is what Cane Ridge senior Michael Reese said about his signing with Duke.
The atmosphere when I first stepped foot on campus was very welcoming and they treated me like I was already part of the family.
Duke has more to offer than just football for me. I think about life after football because it’s not going to last forever. A degree from Duke will put me in the best positions in life.
Duke’s coaching staff played a big role in why I chose to commit there. Coach David Cutcliffe is one of the best college coaches ever.
He coached one of my high school coaches Mose Phillips at the University of Tennessee. He had nothing but good things to say about coach Cutcliffe and how he runs his program.
He cares about his team players growing as men, not just football players and that your character can take you a long way in life. The other coaches are all the same way, none of them ever lied to me and were always straight up when I talked to them about how I would be utilized in the program.
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My recruiting coach and defensive line coach always stayed in touch with me through the recruiting process, and would check up on me weekly.
The Duke football program is on the rise and I am going to be part of it. The team is young and growing and the other commits that are coming in with me are going to help the program prosper even more.
This is probably the best decision I’ve made in my life and I am excited to see where it takes me.