CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke redshirt senior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter has been named the recipient of the 2023 Jim Tatum Award, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday.
The award is given annually in memory of the late Jim Tatum to the top senior student-athlete among the league’s football players. Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the 1950s at both Maryland and North Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete.
A finalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is presented annually by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and the College Football Hall of Fame to the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for their combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership, Carter has a 3.47 cumulative grade point average while working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in education and theater studies.
The only three-year team captain in Duke history, Carter has played a key role in Duke’s transformation from a 3-9 record in 2021 to a 9-4 finish last season in 2022, including a victory in the Military Bowl. The success has carried over into 2023, as the Blue Devils started the season at 4-0 for the first time since 1994, were ranked in the top 25 eight weeks of the season, set a record with six wins at home on the season, and will be bowl eligible for the second consecutive year.
Carter is a significant reason why Duke ranks 14th nationally in red zone defense (.756), 21st in scoring defense (19.8 ppg), 28th in team tackles-for-loss (6.3 per game), 30th in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (.440), 33rd in team passing efficiency defense (123.01), 38th in passing defense (208.2 ypg), and 45th in total defense (354.6 ypg).
He has compiled 39 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, four quarterback pressures, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick in 12 games. He is also a key component as to why the Blue Devils have relinquished just 237 points on the year and only 14 rushing scores.
A 2021 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team selection and a two-time Academic All-ACC pick, Carter was named a 2021 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar finalist. Last spring, he earned a spot on the 2023 NFF Hampshire Honor Society for his exceptional academic…
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