Vontez Duff Class: Senior Hometown: Copperas Cove, TX High School: Copperas Cove Height / Weight: 6-1 / 194 Position: Cornerback Birthdate: 03/08/1982

Named a third-team All-American by Associated Press in ’02 and is a leading candidate for All-America awards again in ’03 … one of the most exciting players in college football with his defensive play and his special team prowess … second-team preseason All-America selection by Athlon … in his third season as a starting cornerback … boasts outstanding overall skills and top-notch speed … has a nose for the ball and is a playmaker for the Irish … extremely physical and is never fazed if he fails to make a play … became first player in Notre Dame history to return a kick, punt and interception for a touchdown in a single season … was two yards away from become the first player in NCAA history to return a kick, punt, interception and fumble for a touchdown in a season … will be the leader of the secondary as well as the overall defense … is sixth on the all-time Notre Dame total kick return list with 1,349 and is only 740 yards away from breaking Tim Brown’s all-time record … he also ranks sixth in all-time kickoff return yards at 984 (Brown is first at 1,613) and is only 25 returns away from breaking Brown’s record for career returns at 105 … has returned three kicks for touchdowns in his career (Notre Dame record is six held by Allen Rossum, Tim Brown and Rocket Ismail).

AS A JUNIOR: Starting cornerback for second consecutive year for the Irish … named a third-team All-American by Associated Press … named preseason honorable mention All-America candidate by Street & Smith’s … ranked eighth in the nation in kickoff return average with 27.94 yards per return … served as a game captain vs. Michigan and Boston College … recorded 36 tackles, including 31 solos, and seven pass break-ups in 2002 … set a Notre Dame record for most kick returns in a season with 59 … finished fourth on the single-season kickoff return list with 526 yards … played in a team-high 347:53 minutes and made 138 special teams appearances … had first career punt return for a touchdown vs. Maryland for 76 yards … also made four tackles vs. Maryland … recorded first career interception return for a touchdown (33-yard return) vs. Purdue … returned two kicks for TDs in two consecutive games … no Irish player has done that dating back to at least 1980 (records stop at that point) … also made career-high six tackles and broke up two passes vs. Purdue … made first career fumble recovery on a fumble forced by fellow starting cornerback Shane Walton vs. Michigan … first player in Irish history to return an interception, punt and kickoff in consecutive games for a touchdown … recorded five tackles and ran punt back 92 yards for a touchdown against Stanford, but was called back because of a penalty … recorded (then) season-long 42-yard kickoff return … also recorded three tackles and broke up a pass vs. Stanford … recorded three kickoff returns for 63 yards vs. Pittsburgh … had three kickoff returns for 74 yards vs. Air Force … also posted two tackles vs. Air Force, including first career tackle for a loss … made 30th career appearance for Irish vs. Florida State … recorded three tackles and recovered a fumble vs. Florida State … also returned two kickoffs for 44 yards vs. Florida State … returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown vs. Navy … returned only punt return 52 yards and tied a career-high with six tackles vs. USC … also broke up a pass vs. USC … first player in Notre Dame history to return a punt, interception, and kickoff for a touchdown in the same season.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Reserve cornerback to start 2001 … moved into starting lineup beginning with fourth game of season vs. Pittsburgh … recorded two tackles vs. Nebraska … made two tackles vs. Michigan State and broke up third-down pass late in third quarter to keep game tied at 10 … returned first kickoff of career for 30 yards vs. Michigan State … recorded a career-high four tackles vs. Texas A&M … made three tackles and a 10-yard kickoff return vs. West Virginia … had three kick returns for 89 yards, including a career-long kickoff return of 39 yards vs. USC … pulled in his first interception of the season vs. USC and had a pass breakup vs. the Trojans … pulled down another interception vs. Boston College and returned it 24 yards … tied his career-high with four tackles vs. Navy and recorded his longest career punt return for 12 yards … recorded an interception and broke up three passes vs. Stanford … had a career-long punt return of 17 yards vs. Stanford … recorded first career touchdown on career-high 96-yard kickoff return vs. Purdue … recorded a career-high five tackles vs. Purdue.

AS A FRESHMAN: Reserve cornerback in 2000 … was only freshman to appear on defense in 2000 and one of just four to see action overall … joined linebacker Mike Goolsby and quarterback Matt LoVecchio as only rookies to earn monograms in 2000 … played on special teams in each game, making 77 appearances … played in first career game vs. Texas A&M, making one special team appearance … made first career tackle vs. Stanford … made first career appearance at corner vs. Navy, recording a tackle … after just one defensive appearance for less than two minutes in first nine games, saw over 15 minutes of playing time vs. Rutgers after injury to starter Shane Walton … had first career interception in fourth quarter vs. Scarlet Knights.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated 12th on The Sporting News list of top 101 prospects … 61st on Chicago Sun-Times list of top 100 prospects … named to list of top 100 national prospects by Fort Worth Star-Telegram (one of 15 running backs) and Dallas Morning News (one of 12 running backs) … rated one of top 100 players in Texas by Houston Chronicle (one of 18 running backs) … carried 194 times for 1,145 yards and 12 touchdowns as senior in ’99, also catching two passes for six yards … two of his eight punt returns went for scores and he also threw for two TDs out of the backfield (he threw for three as junior) … earned three letters in football as running back, receiver and quarterback at Copperas Cove High School in Copperas Cove, Texas … helped team to 9-2 mark in ’99, including district title and first-round state playoff loss … rushed for 2,256 yards and scored 26 TDs as junior in ’98 while serving as team captain and helping squad to conference title … set school records for most rushing yards and carries in a game and for longest punt and kickoff returns … chosen for California-Texas Shrine all-star game where he was named most valuable player after rushing for 109 yards on 22 carries … tied that game at 7-7 in the third quarter with a three-yard touchdown run … helped Bulldogs to Texas Class 5-A state playoffs in ’98 for first time in 37 years … played free safety on defense … also a standout in basketball and track, earning four letters in track as sprinter and one in basketball as guard … has run a 10.5 100 meters and long-jumped 23 feet … full name is Vontez Douglas Duff … oldest of four children … born March 8, 1982 in Kentucky … enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, majoring in sociology.