Hard work pays off, and Duke rising junior defensive end Danny Doyle found out in a tremendously satisfying manner.
A walk-on to the Blue Devils' program in 2014, Doyle has spent the past two years working tirelessly in the weight room, conditioning and taking scout team reps to help his teammates reach new heights.
Needless to say, head coach David Cutcliffe took notice of Doyle's work ethic – but didn't necessarily take the conventional way of showing it.
In a full team meeting, Cutcliffe's phone rings audibly, and he motions to Doyle that the call is from his parents. Both Cutcliffe and the entire team act superbly in keeping the impending message hidden up until the very end. As Doyle finds out about his scholarship offer from his parents, his teammates are finally released from their bond of secrecy and understandably react in hysteria.
The scholarship is announced at just after the 1:20 mark in the video below, but you might want to watch the entire clip for the buildup:
An incredibly nice and perfectly executed gesture from Cutcliffe, Doyle's parents and the entire Duke roster, as the younger Doyle seemed to be completely caught off-guard by the heart-warming news.
Still, Doyle's Cinderella story is far from over. For a rapidly rising Duke program that recently won its first bowl game since 1961, Doyle is listed as a starter on the team's spring depth chart as he continues his ascent into the national spotlight.
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