One is flashy and loud, the other soft-spoken and reserved. Together they form a dynamic wide receiver duo-Duke's version of Fire and Ice.
The Fire is junior Corey Thomas. The Ice is senior Marc Wilson. They are so opposite that they complement each other on and off the field.
"Fire and Ice-one of them's real smooth because he's cool, but the other one's always pumped," Thomas said. "That's us. That's pretty cool."
They had nearly identical statistics for the Blue Devils last season-Wilson led the team with 47 receptions, 531 yards and two touchdowns, while Thomas ended the year with 45 grabs for 505 yards and a team-high six touchdown catches. But that is where the similarities end.
"We're completely different receivers," Wilson said. "I'm slower and not really that flashy. Corey's quick. He'll give you a few moves and he's out of there. We're both pretty consistent and reliable receivers in our own right."
Thomas, 6-0, 170 lbs., has started every game since his redshirt freshman year. He brings the Blue Devils a constant deep threat with excellent moves once he catches the football.
Wilson, 6-3, 200 lbs., played scout team for three years, and he didn't make his first reception for Duke until last season. Wilson is one of the slower wide receivers the Blue Devils have, but he has excellent hands, and with his size he is able to go across the middle often.
Fire is one of the more excitable players on Duke's team. Thomas often jumps up after a big catch and pumps up the crowd and his teammates. He's the fist-pumping player who is always talking on the sidelines, on the field and in the locker room.
Ice is quiet and reserved. Wilson sits back and observes before acting. He admits to getting pumped up by Thomas' actions on the field, and he is often the first one in the end zone to congratulate Thomas when he scores. But the reason he races down to the end zone is not necessarily to celebrate.
"You've got to keep Corey in check," Wilson said. "If I don't race down there, there's going to be a flag thrown. I've got to grab him or something."
Part of the reason they get along so well has to do with the fact that they understand what the other does well, and they try to learn from it.
"When I think of Marc, I think of a big possessive receiver," Thomas said. "He's the type of receiver when you need a first down, and it's third down and eight, he'll get you the nine yards because he can go across the middle of the field. He's pretty big, and he's got dependable hands. He's a completely different receiver than I am.
"I'm 15 yards and deeper. That's how I've always been in every offensive setup. A lot of his qualities I wish I had. I wouldn't trade my speed for his. We're two different receivers that every team needs. Every team needs someone who can get that nine yards on third-down and eight, and you need a receiver who can go down the field and get you that big play."
When they're not together on the field, they're together off it. Wilson serves as the front man to Thomas' comedy act. They share a house together along with wide receiver Dominique Flemming and cornerback Brandon Pollack.
They've set lofty goals for themselves and for the team this year. Individually, they each want more than 50 catches on the season, and they both want to work their way into the end zone more. They truly believe they are one of the best duos in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but they realize they must show it on the field.
"I'm not going to say we're the best ACC duo, but without a doubt, we'd have to be in the top three," Thomas said. "I won't compare ourselves right now to the Florida State receivers, but Marc and I are pretty good in our own right. You can ask Virginia about that."
Last year against the Cavaliers in a 44-30 loss, the two combined for 23 receptions for 288 yards along with three touchdowns. It was almost enough to propel the Blue Devils to a victory.
They realize that even more of the burden will fall on their very different shoulders this season. Indeed, it is a challenge both of them want to take on, and they are confident they can succeed.
Wilson worked hard to get to where he is and he understands the value of such work. While on the scout team, he didn't get down and discouraged as can often happen after two or more years of scout-team play.
"I figured that if I was going to be on the scout team that I was going to get what I could out of it," Wilson said. "I took pride in preparing the defense, and when the secondary would do well in a game I would take pride in that. I never gave up. I always knew I'd get a shot, and I knew I wanted to be ready."
Thomas had a similar situation his freshman year when then-coach Barry Wilson decided to redshirt him. Thomas was upset at first about the move, but he realized it was a chance to improve himself before ever playing a college game, and, he is quick to point out, he was able to start playing immediately for Goldsmith as a redshirt freshman.
Now as upperclassmen, they will enter their second straight season together as Duke's starting wide receiver combination. Opposite in all-else, they are focused on winning regardless of who wins the competition between the two of them this season.
"I never got upset when they called Marc's number, or he was having a great game and I wasn't," Thomas said. "It's bad when you have two receivers competing in a negative-type way. We compete, but in a competitive-type way. I can remember us competing in the last game last season against North Carolina to see who would end up with the most catches on the season. But it's always in fun.
"I can never picture Marc getting mad at me for anything, and he knows I'm the same way. I think the competition will make us that much better this year. It's us going out there having fun."
Fire and Ice wouldn't have it any other way.
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