Fifteen Questions for Duane Price

By W.A. Myatt
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Duane Price was a four-year letterman in baseball and football at Texas Tech, helping the Red Raiders to a Southwest Conference championship in 1994 as a member of the secondary.

Price spent two years in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He played center field between Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns, a duo that has combined for 561 major league home runs.

Price has coached outside linebackers the last three years at East Carolina. He will celebrate his 38th birthday on Sept. 5, the day before the Pirates play at South Carolina. Price and wife, Becca, have an 11-year old son, Chilton.

Price fielded questions on Wednesday from Bonesville.

Q: Favorite restaurant in Greenville?

A: Hwy 55.

Q: Favorite TV show?

A: Duck Dynasty.

Q: How did you meet your wife?

A: I met her in high school. She moved into town our junior year. She was dating one of my good friends and I hit on her in the library and she didn't want to have anything to do with me. After our freshman year of college, I took her out to a bowling alley and it's been great ever since.

Q: What can fans expect from the outside linebacker corps this year?

A: We want to play hard and play fast, be physical. With the outside linebackers, we have to get to the quarterback in pass rush situations. We have to be able to cover receivers and play off of tight ends. Our mentality has to be to do the best we can, as fast and as violent as we can, when it comes to attacking a blocker or attacking a receiver and getting to the quarterback.

Q: What is your best recruiting story?

A: This past fall, I was stuck (due to snow) down in Atlanta, GA, and spent about 12 hours in a car, overnight, when I was only about 5 miles from my hotel.

Q: What does ECU look for in a recruit?

A: We look for kids with great character. Kids that have academics, that fit in the environment we're promoting. We want them to be accountable and good, positive role models in the community. On top of that, we also want great football players.

Q: What is the best advice you've ever received?

A: Be accountable — to know that everyday, you've got to do the best you can as a person, as a coach, as a husband and as a father. Be accountable to everybody, everyday.

Q: What do you enjoy doing during your free time?

A: When I have free time, I love playing golf. That's my passion away from football, and my release, my stress-reliever. I'll go out with my son and my wife and we'll also go hang out at the beach.

Q: Who's been the most influential person in your life?

A: Dean Campbell. He was my secondary coach in college at Texas Tech and he's a father figure for me. He's the one who gave me that advice about being accountable.

Q: How was playing centerfield in between Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system?

A: That was fun, we had a blast! That first year, Adam was going to go in after that summer and play quarterback at Texas, so we did a lot of one-on-one drills. He eventually became a tight-end (at Texas) so he got out and went to the Reds. Those guys have gone on to have great careers in baseball and I know they've had a lot of fun.

Q: What player do you think will surprise some people this season?

A: Devaris Brunson from the inside linebacker position. From the outside linebacker, I think Dayon Pratt will (surprise some people).

Q: How well is the team, as a whole, progressing this spring?

A: It's going really well. I think we have great team chemistry. They get along really well away from the football field — in the locker room, weight room, off-campus — things like that carry over to the field. I think they work hard together and they know their teammate expects the very best from them, so they're going to give that in return. It goes back to holding each other accountable. We're just going to keep building on each day.

Q: How would you describe head coach Ruffin McNeill's coaching style?

A: Tough love. He wants to make sure everyone is accountable. Those characteristics in recruiting I mentioned earlier, those are the demands we have from our players. He wants them to do the right things, he's going to be hard on you, he's hard on us, he makes sure everybody is doing their job. But he loves us and everybody knows that. That's why it's that family atmosphere. Those things carry over from football, to the classroom, to real-life.

Q: What is your favorite thing about coaching?

A: Being around the kids. Seeing them grow as a football player, obviously, but also grow as an individual, as a man, being accountable and responsible. Seeing that lightbulb go off, seeing them understand how football teaches those life lessons. That's what's really exciting about coaching.

Q: What is your favorite thing about East Carolina University?

A: The fan base. I think the fan base is phenomenal. The support that our players get when they walk out on that football field on Saturdays to see 50,000 screaming fans, but also the support they get around the community. We go out and work community service and we give back to those families and our fans. That's what I love the most about ECU.

E-mail W.A. Myatt.

PAGE UPDATED 04/03/14 04:20 AM