John Talley sits in a swivel chair, looking like he would rather be just about anywhere else.
The Duke cornerback is wearing an oversized white T-shirt, long denim shorts, a white Yankees hat with his short braids poking out from the sides and a bristly goatee on his chin.
He is a ball of nervous energy. The junior rotates back and forth; he leans back as far as the chair will allow and then rocks forward. He speaks softly and leaves long pauses between question and answer.
He opens up when he's talking about the football team and his role on the field, but he shares less when asked about his own life. He's quicker to discuss his weaknesses than his strengths, and to hear him talk, one would never know that he's among the best cover cornerbacks in the nation.
"I'm not a person that likes talking about myself," he says. "I just try to do whatever's asked of me.
"I don't really worry about [being recognized individually]. Worrying about being known and about your own accomplishments is second to the team."
Talley is a home run hitter, the big-play guy on Duke's defense. His 172 interception return yards last season were best in the ACC, and his two returns for touchdowns tied a Duke record. He led the ACC in passes defended per game and finished second in interceptions per contest. In his career, he has averaged 28.6 yards per interception return-best in Blue Devil history.
So far this season, Talley leads the Blue Devils in interceptions and return yards; he's 13th on the team in all-purpose yards-between tight end Ben Patrick and wide receiver Marcus Jones-without even touching the ball once on offense or special teams.
In its college football preview, The Sporting News tabbed him as the ninth-best cornerback in the nation.
"He's a guy that has great instincts, a great feel for the game and really works at the game," Blue Devil head coach Ted Roof said. "You don't have as many interceptions as he's had in his career without great instincts.... Those big plays when you score on defense, they change the momentum of a football game."
'He won't shut up'
A huge grin spread across reserve cornerback Evalio Harrell's face when he was told he would be answering questions about Talley. Harrell, a redshirt freshman, said people around campus call Talley and him Siamese twins, "because they always see us together, sometimes wearing the same long t-shirt and stuff like that." He said Talley's quiet public persona gives way when the two of them are together.
"When I first met him, he wouldn't say a word; you'd be around him but he wouldn't talk," Harrell said with a laugh. "But once you get to know him, he won't shut up."
During football season, Talley said he doesn't have time for much besides class, practice, homework and sleep. But Talley's two-year roommate, linebacker Jeramy Edwards, said Talley was forgetting one important thing.
"They play Playstation, [Nintendo] 64, Nintendo-every game system out since 1983," Edwards said of Talley and Harrell. "They'll play it all night, all day sometimes-. At night, sometimes he'll wake up at three in the morning; he'll be out there on the sticks talking about how he can't sleep-sticks being Playstation and X-box."
The cornerback's love of video games has allowed his teammates, including wide receiver Jomar Wright, to grow closer to him.
"I've known John since elementary school, when we used to play on a Little League team together," Wright said. "When I got to Duke, I started hanging out with him more, playing video games with him, and he just opened up; I saw a whole new side of him."
Talley is an accomplished and constant video game trash-talker, Harrell said, but he follows a strict moral code when talking to opponents on the field. He doesn't start talking until the opposition gives him a reason.
"I don't say much when I make a play," Talley said. "Basically, how they approach me is how I approach them.... So if they start with me, then I've got more incentive than if they don't say anything."
Growing up
Talley grew up in Duncan, S.C., a town with a population of about 3,000 in western South Carolina. He is a middle child, with one older and one younger sister, but said he spent as much time with his cousins as his sisters.
One of his older cousins, Nathan Talley, is the man John describes as his inspiration and role model. The two still talk on the phone several times a week, and Nathan and other cousins, as well as John's parents and siblings, make it to as many Blue Devil games as they can.
"I grew up with him, and he helped me get to where I am today," Talley said. "I used to be with him all the time, and I played football and basketball with a lot of the older guys. He gave me the advantage of learning things from older guys."
Talley attended Byrnes High School in Duncan, where he was Wright's teammate. He started four years at cornerback for the Rebels, who improved each of the four years he played. The team finished undefeated and won the state championship in Talley's senior year. The 5-foot-10 Talley also played guard on the Rebels' basketball team; when asked if he can dunk, he responded, "I have my days."
After his time at Byrnes, Talley seriously considered attending either Duke or Vanderbilt. In the end, he said Duke won out because it was closer to his home and he felt more comfortable around his future teammates.
Talley came to Duke and immediately contributed, playing in all of the team's 12 games as a freshman. He finished tied for the team lead with two interceptions-both against Clemson-and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. As a sophomore, Talley broke out, playing more snaps than any other Blue Devil and earning several conference honors.
'Just keep working'
Despite playing for the Blue Devils in a period in which the team has amassed a 7-20 record, Talley has maintained a positive attitude, even believing there is something to be learned from losing.
"I never think, 'Why am I doing this?' You always think, 'I hate losing,'" Talley said. "No one likes to lose, but I've never been one to give up, so I just keep working until things get better.... I think you can learn from anything; you can learn from winning or losing."
Talley came to Duke "150 pounds, wringing wet," Roof said, but he is now 30 pounds heavier. His work ethic, combined with his athleticism, give him hope that he'll play in the NFL.
"One of my goals is to play at the next level," Talley said softly-and after a long pause. "I'm going to keep hope alive and say [my chances] are pretty good."
What's certain is that Talley will work his hardest to get to the NFL. After all, how could he pass up a chance to play as himself in Madden 2008?
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