Back in July, Fred Goldsmith was understandably hesitant when he talked about the possibilities of a true freshman playing for his veteran football team this fall. He mentioned that there was an extremely talented cornerback, a local kid, who might push his way into the rotation, but Goldsmith didn't want to set any expectations.
As training camp began, that cornerback showed immense potential from the start, with amazing reflexes and an uncanny ability to cover receivers.
Goldsmith recognized the ability then, yet said the player still needed a little more time to grow. Duke was intent on playing veterans and not forcing youngsters onto the field as it did during the last three seasons.
But as camp wound down and the season began, Ronnie Hamilton gave Goldsmith no choice.
The true freshman from Oxford, N.C., forced his way onto the field and now, as Duke heads into its eighth game, Hamilton is firmly entrenched as the Blue Devils' starting left corner and punt returner.
"I felt if I could keep performing well, I'd get to play," Hamilton said. "The more I got playing time, the more I'd show and be able to play out there. I think I did that during practice."
The process actually began long before Hamilton was with the team. While attending nearby Webb High School, Hamilton spent much of the spring watching Duke practice.
He started learning Goldsmith's defensive system and began familiarizing himself with the players and the college game. That gave Hamilton an enormous advantage when training camp opened. So did talent.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder was actually the Durham Herald-Sun's Offensive Player of the Year in '97, catching 54 passes for over 1,000 yards. In the end, though, the All-State selection chose defense.
And he chose Duke, which Hamilton admits lacks in such areas as facilities, because of the coaches and the future prospects.
"The coaches had a lot to do with it," he said. "They came to me with an attitude that really impressed me. I knew I wanted to be a part of building something.
"I knew the situation when I was first looking here. The last couple of years, we were young and inexperienced. But I saw the potential."
Players like Hamilton are the ones who are most likely to turn the potential into something. If Goldsmith and the Blue Devils can recruit that kind of talent, even while the team was losing, there is less of a question of whether they can compete in the ACC.
That potential excites Hamilton the most. He smiles when talking about both the prospects now for Duke's first winning season in four years, and for next year, when the Blue Devils return almost all of their key players.
"In the back of our minds, we feel like we can really have a good year next season," Hamilton said. "We know how good we can be. I can see [the turnaround]. That's what I came here for, just to have people looking at us. We just have to go out and win."
Hamilton also still sees plenty of room for improvement in his own play. He admits that making plays in the actual games is more difficult than at practice.
"I was a little tentative [at first]," he said. "I've started to get my feet down and get comfortable during games. I played against some good receivers at high school, but the talent level and speed of the college game is tremendous.
"There's no problem returning punts. I've just tried to be aggressive in practice, and I'm really looking to make good returns during the game."
Goldsmith and the Blue Devils are no longer worried about Hamilton making those good plays during the game. Hamilton and fellow true freshman B.J. Hill have proven that even on a decent team, there's still always room for good, young talent.
"When I got here, there were a lot of positive feelings coming in," Hamilton said. "If we can win these last four games, hopefully there'll be a change in the attitude in the future."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.