Durham, N.C. - After making the transition from player to coach, wide receiver coach Jeffrey Faris gets ready to enter his fifth season as a member of the Duke football staff. Faris is one of six current Blue Devil assistant coaches who started their careers as a graduate assistant or quality control staffer under head coach David Cutcliffe. Prior to summer getting started, Faris sat down with GoDuke.com to answer a series of questions.
GoDuke.com: Keyston Fuller was named the Co-Most Improved Offensive Player this spring. What stood out to you during his spring performance?
JF: What stood out to me is how dangerous he is with the ball in his hands. He's relatively new to the position; he came in as a corner and got moved during the fall to wide receiver. You see a unique ability there. He's learning how to become a better receiver every day. You really saw from practice one to practice 15 a completely different player. I'm excited about his progress, especially with how young he is.
--
GoDuke.com: What did it mean to you to watch Jamison Crowder have such a strong rookie year with the Washington Redskins?
JF: It meant a ton. I love that kid. Anyone who knows Jamison understands how truly special he is. He's one of the best people you'll ever meet as well as one of the hardest workers, and such a genuine person who wants to help others. I know he has great relationships with our wide receiver room right now because it's important to him to help other people. I was thrilled because it couldn't happen to a better person.
--
GoDuke.com: You have another receiver with NFL potential in Max McCaffrey. What are you most excited for him for in the upcoming weeks now that he has signed with the Oakland Raiders? What is the one thing you'll miss about Max the most in the fall?
JF: I'm most excited because I know Max has worked his tail off and done everything he possibly could. He will not let the Raiders down and will do whatever it takes. The Raiders will be thrilled that they gave him the opportunity that they did.
What I will miss about Max is that he was a great leader. He led by example mainly, but also led in other ways: could get on a guy if he wasn't getting it done, pull a guy to the side, whatever he needed to do he would do it. So I think it's a little bit good for our room, so other people can develop as leaders. He had done a great job and was three-year starter and played everywhere for us. I think he has a bright future ahead of him and I'm excited to track his progress.
--
GoDuke.com: You've played at Duke and now coach at Duke. What does it mean to have such a strong connection to one university?
JF: I love it. I never come to work in the morning; this is not a job to me. When we win games, I really, really appreciate and understand what Coach Cutcliffe had come into and how much the program has been built and grown. I couldn't imagine anything else like, and I have fun every day. The guys I work with are former teammates and we have so much pride in our institution and we just want to make it the best football program in the country every single day.
--
GoDuke.com: You're a member of the David Cutcliffe coaching tree. How has Coach Cut shaped the coach and man you are today? What is the biggest thing you've learned from him?
JF: Coach Cut, first and foremost, has shaped the man I am today. He has been a mentor to me ever since I enrolled here and he was a guy I could go to if I ever needed anything. He always pushed me, not only in football but life in every single way. He stayed on me. Every big decision that I make I go straight to him because I know I can trust in him.
As a coach, he coaches his coaches harder than the players because he loves the players so much and wants to make sure that we get everything out of them and they grow as much as possible. He has been great, clearly communicating things that can make me better, finding every edge that I can have as a coach and I've been thrilled to do that. I've actually grown more not only in my first year coaching the position, but last year I grew more than any other that year I've been coaching the position because of his attention to detail. Obviously his experience and knowledge is unbelievable. So I try to soak up everything I can get from him because he is the best.
--
GoDuke.com: You just returned from the recruiting circuit. What's the best part of that time on the road?
JF: I love recruiting because I love Duke University. It's an easy product to sell – it's a superior product. I wouldn't enjoy recruiting as much if I was at any other school because I know the difference Duke can make in peoples' lives. It didn't just change my life, but changed my roommate's life, and everyone who I played with.
I get to go travel across the country. I'm from East Tennessee; I never traveled west of the Mississippi in my life. Now I get to recruit California, Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte. I get to travel across the country and tell coaches all the great things that come with Duke University. I love it. I'm also an extrovert, so I love meeting people and developing relationships. These are some guys that I get to see a couple times a year and I love going to see them and continuing to build those relationships.
--
GoDuke.com: When you're not out on the road recruiting, what's your favorite summer time activity in the Triangle area?
JF: I love Durham Bulls games. I played baseball in high school and I'm a huge baseball fan, so nothing to me is more fun than sitting, chewing sunflower seeds and watching the game. I've been to some Duke games as well to watch Johnathan Lloyd play. I enjoy that, too.
#GoDuke