When losing a top recruit ain't such a bad thing ...
Back in the spring of 2002, N.C. State football fans groaned when a top-notch linebacker prospect out of Tampa elected to pursue a pro baseball career after having signed an LOI to play football for the Wolfpack.
That near-miss recruit? Tampa Devil Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes. Had he gone to State, he might have been a fifth-year senior on last year's team. Think the Wolfpack needed help at linebacker in 2006?
On the other hand, had he gone to State, Dukes might have given the school and the coaches a whole lot of headaches. He's always had a reputation as a loose cannon. Just ask the Durham Bulls, and now, just ask his wife.
Check out this article in the St. Pete Times about Dukes' growing list of domestic disputes. Scary stuff.
While we should all be careful not to rush to judgement (Duke lacrosse anyone?) the voice mails that Dukes' wife played for the newspaper don't leave a lot of room for interpretation. That is assuming, of course, that the voice on those messages is the voice of Elijah Dukes.
You dead, dawg," says an angry voice. "I ain't even bulls-------. Your kids, too."
Yikes. Maybe things really turned out for the best for the Wolfpack. Really.
(edit: Here's the photo of the photo of the gun. Can't believe I missed this earlier.)
