When practice ends on a Wednesday afternoon, the quarterbacks file off the field. Wide receivers and linebackers break off into separate groups with their respective position coaches to go through end-of-practice conditioning drills.
Tight end Andy Roland and H-back Ben Patrick jog toward a dangerous-looking machine with two spinning wheels that spits footballs out faster than any quarterback can throw. Patrick stands at a distance from the machine, first 10 yards, then five, then as close as three, as the machine continually fires balls at him, and he catches every one. Then it’s Roland’s turn.
The two need to get their hands ready; each will be a major component of the passing game for a Blue Devil team with few experienced pass catchers.
“Both will have a big role in our offense,” head coach Ted Roof said. “Both are really good players and they give us one of the top tight end combinations in the conference. We definitely need to utilize them and get them the ball, which we’re planning on.”
Patrick—who is nominated for the Mackey Award, given each year to the nation’s top tight end—led the Blue Devils in receptions last year with 30. The redshirt junior and second-year team captain is one of the team’s best athletes, as well as a behemoth, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 270 pounds.
Redshirt senior Roland is also a Mackey Award nominee. He has started at least six games in each of the past three seasons, and his three touchdown receptions last year gave him the team’s highest total. Entering the season, he has more receptions, for more yards and more touchdowns than any active Blue Devil. He is recognized as one of the top blocking tight ends in the ACC.
Roof said that both players will frequently be on the field at the same time this season, creating match-up problems for opposing defenses, which will have to use a slower linebacker or smaller defensive back to cover them. Roland, the head coach said, is better at catching the ball downfield, as well as at finding open spots in zone defenses. The faster Patrick is more of a threat when he can catch the ball and find room to run with it. Both, however, are complete tight ends, able to block, catch and run.
“That’s one of the things that helps us out,” Roland said. “The defense can’t game plan saying, ‘This guy’s only going to catch,’ or ‘This guy’s only going to block,’ they have to game plan for both blocking or passing. Either way, they can’t load up one side of the defense.”
In an attempt to get the two players on the field together in more situations, Patrick changed positions slightly in the off-season. Since two tight ends play together only in certain offensive formations, the athletic Patrick became an H-back—a hybrid position that means he will sometimes line up as a traditional tight end, but will also line up in the backfield like a fullback or split out away from the offensive line like a wide receiver.
“We’ll give a lot of different looks to the defense and try to confuse them,” Patrick said. “I have to learn double the stuff that I did last year, but it’ll be an opportunity for us to make plays.”
As if the possibility of lining up against two top tight ends was not enough of a problem for defenses, both Roland and Patrick say that new tight ends coach John Strollo has improved their technique during preseason practices. Both Patrick and Roland described Strollo—who came to Duke after a three-year stint as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Cornell—as a technician.
“A lot of the smaller stuff you don’t really think about, especially if you’re not playing football. A lot of the footwork and a lot of the steps really make a difference when you’re coming off the ball for a route and definitely blocking,” Roland said. “It makes a huge difference when you have the technique down.”
In anticipation of playing a more important role than ever, Patrick said he increased his off-season training so that he will not be worn down at the end of games.
“I wanted to get stronger, faster,” Patrick said. “I worked on all aspects of the game: catching balls, blocking better and knowing my assignments. That’s something I dedicated myself to, picking up the whole nine.”
With Patrick and Roland committed to doing it all, it just might be opposing defenses that get worn out.
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