When former head coach Ted Roof showed up to his weekly media luncheons, he usually wore a Duke Football collared shirt, buttoned all the way to the top, and a morose mien that accentuated his soft-spoken words. It sounded more like a library--or worse--than a press conference.
On Tuesday, David Cutcliffe proved, yet again, how different he is from his predecessor. Cutcliffe strolled into the Yoh Football Center sporting a jacket, crisp white shirt and tie--no buttons undone--and held court with the local media for about 30 minutes. He stood behind the podium, unlike Roof, who typically sat behind a dais, and even offered an opening statement, which he had outlined on a scrap of paper he pulled from his brown coat. The enthusiasm was evident from his first words, when he deemed that because it was game week, he expected the best, most biting questions from the media. We'll see if the demeanor is the same after Saturday's opener against James Madison.
—by Ben Cohen
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