{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1993)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Austin P. Duke | image = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see WP:NONFREE. --> | image_size = | alt = | caption = | number = | current_team = | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|8|3|mf=y}} | birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 10 | weight_lb = 171 | high_school = Independence<br>(Charlotte, North Carolina) | college = Charlotte | undraftedyear = 2017 | pastteams = * Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|2017}}–{{NFL Year|2018}})* * Atlanta Legends ({{AAF Year|2019}})* * Toronto Argonauts ({{CFL Year|2019}})* * New York Guardians ({{XFL Year|2020}}) * Barcelona Dragons ({{ELF Year|2023}})* | status = | pfr = D/DukeAu00 }}
'''Austin P. Duke''' (born August 3, 1993) is an American former football player. He signed with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He played college football for Charlotte.
==College football== In 2013, Duke began his college football career with the Charlotte 49ers as a member of UNC Charlotte's first varsity football team since 1948. He was the team's leading receiver in each of his four seasons with the 49ers, and would go on to finish his college career in 2016 as their all-time leading receiver in receptions (253), receiving yards (3,437), and receiving touchdowns (24).
==Professional football== ===Carolina Panthers=== On May 5, 2017, Duke signed with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL),<ref>{{cite news |title=With nothing guaranteed, undrafted Panthers rookie Austin Duke works toward a dream |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article161570493.html |website=Charlotteobserver.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Austin Duke |url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3050138/austin-duke |website=Espn.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Austin Duke - Carolina Panthers - 2018 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com |url=http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/12530/austin-duke |website=Rotoworld.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Austin Duke |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/austinduke/2558937/profile |website=NFL.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Austin Duke |url=https://www.panthers.com/team/players-roster/austin-duke/ |website=Panthers.com}}</ref> and spent the remainder of the 2017 NFL season on the Panthers' practice roster.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DukeAu00.htm|title=Austin Duke Stats|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref>
On January 1, 2018, Duke was signed to a reserve future contract with the Panthers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.panthers.com/team/transactions/|title=Carolina Panthers|website=Panthers.com|access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref> Duke would go on to participate in the Panthers' training camp, and appeared in 4 NFL preseason games, accumulating 69 yards on 9 receptions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/player/austinduke/2558937/gamelogs|title=NFL Player Gamelogs|website=Nfl.com|access-date=October 31, 2021}}</ref> On September 1, 2018, Duke was released by the Panthers at the end of training camp.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article217648760.html|title=NFL|website=Charlotteobserver.com|access-date=October 31, 2021}}</ref>
===Atlanta Legends=== In early 2019, Duke participated in the Alliance of American Football's Atlanta Legends training camp,<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Jaylon|url=https://shop.aaf.com/legends-burst-onto-scene-at-training-camp/|title=Legends 'burst' onto scene at Training Camp|publisher=Alliance of American Football|date=January 6, 2019|access-date=February 6, 2019}}</ref> but was injured and ultimately did not play.
===Toronto Argonauts=== On May 27, 2019, he signed with the Canadian Football League (CFL)'s Toronto Argonauts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.argonauts.ca/2019/05/27/argos-add-int-wr-austin-duke-int-db-malik-davis/|title=Argos add INT WR Austin Duke & INT DB Malik Davis|work=Toronto Argonauts|date=May 27, 2019|access-date=June 4, 2019}}</ref> He was released June 7, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2019/06/07/making-moves-tracking-roster-cuts-around-cfl/|title=Making Moves: Tracking roster cuts around the CFL|website=Cfl.ca|date=7 June 2019|access-date=31 October 2021}}</ref>
===New York Guardians=== Duke signed with the New York Guardians of the XFL on January 7, 2020, where he was a punt returner.<ref>{{cite web |title=XFL Transactions |url=https://www.xfl.com/xfl-transactions |website=XFL.com |access-date=January 9, 2020}}</ref> The league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.<ref>{{cite news |author=Condotta, Bob |title=XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/xfl-suspends-operations-terminates-all-employees/ |website=SeattleTimes.com |date=April 10, 2020 |access-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Footbowl">{{Cite web |last=Hoffmann |first=Elias |date=2023-01-06 |title=Ehemaliger NFL und XFL Receiver Duke zu den Dragons |url=https://footbowl.eu/ehemaliger-nfl-und-xfl-receiver-duke-zu-den-dragons/ |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=Foot Bowl |language=de-DE}}</ref>
===Barcelona Dragons=== Duke signed with the Barcelona Dragons of the European League of Football on January 8, 2023<ref name="Footbowl" /><ref>{{cite web |last=MacKenzie |first=Daniel |date=January 8, 2023 |title=ELF: Barcelona Dragons sign former NFL and XFL receiver Austin Duke |website=AmericanFootballInternational.com |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/elf-barcelona-dragons-sign-former-nfl-and-xfl-receiver-austin-duke/ |access-date=February 27, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hahn |first=Chris |date=January 22, 2023 |title=Barcelona Dragons sign French national team wide receiver Melvin Palin |website=EuropeanLeague.football |url=https://europeanleague.football/news/barcelona-dragons-sign-french-national-team-wide-receiver-melvin-palin-242 |access-date=May 12, 2024}}</ref> and was released on May 18.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hanswillemenke |first=Tim |title=Barcelona Dragons replace former NFL wide receiver |website=EuropeanLeague.football |url=https://europeanleague.football/news/barcelona-dragons-replace-former-nfl-wide-receiver-1206 |access-date=February 27, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=MacKenzie |first=Daniel |date=May 23, 2023 |title=Barcelona Dragons replace import wideout with Colorado School of Mines Josh Johnston |website=AmericanFootballInternational.com |url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/barcelona-dragons-replace-import-wideout-with-colorado-school-of-mines-josh-johnston/ |access-date=May 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 20, 2023 |title=Josh Johnston ficha por los Barcelona Dragons |language=es |website=Mundo Deportivo |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol-americano/20230520/1002008744/josh-johnston-ficha-barcelona-dragons.html |access-date=May 12, 2024}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{Twitter|TheAus10Duke}} *[https://charlotte49ers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=521 Charlotte 49ers bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duke, Austin}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:American football wide receivers Category:Charlotte 49ers football players Category:Carolina Panthers players Category:Atlanta Legends players Category:Toronto Argonauts players Category:New York Guardians players Category:Players of American football from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:Barcelona Dragons (ELF) players Category:American expatriate players of American football Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Independence High School (Charlotte, North Carolina) alumni