Little-known Merrill becomes big name offensive line

In one of football's lowest-profile positions, one Blue Devil has made a big name for himself to opposing teams and NFL scouts.

But even the most die-hard of Duke fans would be hard-pressed to know his name, or his long journey to the top, for that matter.

He is Jon Merrill, a 295-pound bulwark of an offensive lineman. Merrill has been a rock for the Blue Devils the past two years, and according to head coach Fred Goldsmith, pro scouts are "drooling" over him.

Merrill's rise to the top of his position has been an arduous process, one in which the fifth-year senior dropped out of football altogether only two years ago.

In his first two years in Durham, Merrill saw limited playing time and things weren't looking up.

After those two years--unsuccessful years for both Merrill and the Blue Devils--Merrill decided that he had enough.

"I failed out," Merrill said. "I just wasn't happy here. The whole Duke scene didn't appeal to me. It was just the whole atmosphere--I was unhappy playing football."

Merrill became disenchanted with football and that carried over to his studies. He stopped going to class and quit the football team, sitting out the entire 1993 football season. That season would prove to be former head coach Barry Wilson's last at the helm.

"It just seemed like they were really genuine people and they were coming in here to win football games," Merrill said. "That really sparked my interest back into football. And having football sparked my interest back into my academic side."

Since then, the Goldsmith era has witnessed the resurgence of Duke football, and Merrill's play can be attributed as one of the reasons for that turnaround.

"Everybody's enthusiasm level has really increased [under Goldsmith]," Merrill said. "The intensity's a lot higher than it used to be."

Last year, Merrill helped create the holes for Robert Baldwin to crash through. Baldwin, who was named ACC Player of the Year in 1994, rushed for 100+ yards five times behind the Merrill-led offensive line.

Against Florida State last Saturday, the offensive line fared relatively well. The Blue Devils racked up 162 yards rushing and the line did a fair job of keeping the pressure off quarterback Spence Fischer.

Merrill's efforts at left tackle haven't been lost on Goldsmith.

"To me, the offensive line is very, very important," Goldsmith said. "They help you move the ball and protect the quarterback, and when the offense is doing good, it keeps the defense resting off the field."

And now--after dropping out of school for an entire year two years ago--Merrill has become a true team leader.

"As an offensive lineman, it's hard to really be a leader like some of the big players, like Spence, [John] Zuanich and [Billy] Granville, who are out there and make the big play," Merrill said. "It's real easy for them to be a leader, but for an offensive lineman, I think that you've got to get out there and play after play, do your job correctly.

"The only way I can really see I can be a leader is to get them to follow my example."

For his teammates, following Merrill's example means putting forth that extra effort, according to Goldsmith.

"He's got confidence in himself and a great work ethic," Goldsmith said. "He leads by work example. You know, when you see a 300 pounder push himself through things, then the other guys ought to push themselves through too."

Despite coming up short against a more-talented Seminole team last week, Merrill and company still have a shot to prove that last year was no fluke.

"If we come out and we play as hard as we possibly can, we'll be able to say that our football team is still on the rise," Merrill said. "Last year was really about trying to establish a football program here. We'd like to continue that this year."