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Searching for an All-Star Employee

Nominations now accepted for this season’s honorary Duke Football employee captain

Nominate a colleague to be Duke football's honorary employee captain on Sept. 12, and they'll get the chance to run onto the field with the Blue Devils.
Nominate a colleague to be Duke football's honorary employee captain on Sept. 12, and they'll get the chance to run onto the field with the Blue Devils.
By Duke Today Staff

From July 21 to 31, Working@Duke is accepting nominations to find an honorary employee captain for Duke football.

The title, which is bestowed annually to a faculty or staff member who goes above and beyond in the workplace, will get him or her on the field during the Sept. 12 Employee Kickoff Celebration football game against North Carolina Central University.

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When providing nominations, Duke community members are encouraged to highlight how a nominee excels in areas of Duke’s Guiding Principles, which are trustworthiness, respect, diversity, learning and teamwork. 

As part of the recognition, the faculty or staff member will experience Duke football from a player's perspective the week of the game. While the honorary captain won't get the chance to punt, pass or kick, one winner will join the Blue Devils for team activities, including:

  • Participating with head coach David Cutcliffe during a weekly press luncheon.
  • Running onto Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium with the football team before kickoff against North Carolina Central and participating in the pre-game coin toss with officials and team captains.
  • Watching the game from the sidelines.
  • Recording a video with Cutcliffe to broadcast during the game.

Last year’s honorary captain, Anthony Galanos, said attending the game was a surreal experience, highlighted by running out of a tunnel with the team, then standing on midfield during opening coin toss. Galanos was selected as employee captain after receiving 49 nominations from colleagues. 

“As I was running through the tunnel before the game, I felt like if my chest burst I would die a happy man in that moment,” joked Galanos, a Duke Medicine physician.

Faculty and staff can nominate coworkers by filling out an online form. Nominators are encouraged to share details about why their nominee's performance in the office, classroom or lab should be recognized on the field as an honorary captain. 

Nominations are due by 9 a.m. July 31. This year’s captain will be announced the week of Aug. 3.