Friday night's dedication of the Yoh Football Center represented another step in Duke's commitment to producing a winning football team. President Nan Keohane began the ceremony by thanking all of the donors, about half of whom were former Duke football players.
"It is a tremendous day for Duke football," she said. "If you can't get them with this, you can't get them anywhere, and we are going to get them with this."
Despite interruptions in her speech due to PA system troubles, Keohane acknowledged the campaign's co-chairs Dr. Frank Bassett and Leo Hart. She was followed by Director of Athletics Joe Alleva, who paid tribute to Rob Lenoir. Lenoir, the former Blue Devil defensive tackle who died on Sept. 11, has an office on the fourth floor named in his memory.
Keohane then took the podium again to present gifts to the lead donors of the center. She introduced Spike and Mary Yoh. Mary, who is accredited with the idea of supporting the center, sits on the Athletic Advisory Board, and Spike serves as chair of the Board of Trustees. Keohane presented Spike with a customized version of the East Campus sower statue, this one holding a football instead of a bag of seeds. Mary was given a painting of the Yoh center.
"What a beautiful night," Mary said. "It is so nice to see so many of you come together and unite the community to reestablish a winning tradition in football. Success does not come overnight, but I can feel it coming. Who can ever forget the hundreds of students storming the field, tearing down goal posts and triumphantly carrying them onto campus. It brought joy to our hearts, tears to my eyes, and pride in our school."
Her speech was followed by her husband, who stated that Duke's excellence does not fall short in the football stadium.
"What quality high school athlete would not want to come if they knew Duke had a first-class commitment to winning," he asked the crowd, which consisted mostly of the Board of Trustees and other Duke alumni. "This center shows that commitment."
Next up to the podium was head football coach Carl Franks, who thanked the donors on behalf of the entire team. The players were given a chance to walk through the third floor, which holds a gallery dedicated to Duke football history. Franks attributed part of his team's emotion entering into the ECU game to the pride they felt for the strong foundation of Duke football.
The speeches were followed by a cocktail buffet and tours of the center.
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