During their Blue Devil careers, Jamison Crowder, Takoby Cofield and Laken Tomlinson were key cogs in the offense and members of the teams that helped rebuild the Duke football program.
Head coach David Cutcliffe paid his former players some respect when the entire Blue Devil football team attended Thursday's preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.
Pregame stop on @FOX2News with @HammerFox2 for @DavidCutcliffe. #DukeInTheNFL #DETvsWAS pic.twitter.com/M5Z7LsFIBO
— Duke Football (@Duke_FB) August 20, 2015
Tomlinson became the program's first player to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the last 28 years when he was chosen 28th overall by the Lions back in April. Crowder followed soon after, coming off the board in the fourth round and heading to Washington. Cofield was added to Washington's roster as an undrafted free agent earlier this summer. The three seniors were part of the second-winningest class in program history and led Duke to the ACC Championship in 2013.
For Cutcliffe, the trip presented the opportunity to connect with his former players and create memories with his new ones. The Blue Devils were given pregame field access along with the opportunity to get a glimpse at the stage many players hope to reach in the future.
All our student-athletes receiving pregame field access tonight. #GoDuke #DukeInTheNFL pic.twitter.com/c2QPodPXOF
— Duke Football (@Duke_FB) August 20, 2015
Duke's presence on the sidelines also served as notice to high school athletes around the nation that the former ACC bottom-dweller has become a program capable of developing NFL talent.
As for the contest itself, Washington defeated Detroit, 21-17. After dealing with a hamstring injury in recent weeks, Crowder suited up for Thursday's game but did not take the field for his first NFL action. On the other sideline, Tomlinson was in the game for much of the first half and helped the Lions score a second-quarter touchdown.
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