Taylor Duncan brings versatile skills to East/West Game

Sometimes a football player can’t play the position he’s best suited for.

Case in point is recent Lewis and Clark graduate Taylor Duncan.

Duncan was arguably the best linebacker the Tigers had the last three years. But he was also the best option at running back. And under coach Dave Hughes’ two-platoon philosophy, Duncan could only play one position full time.

That meant Duncan ended up at running back.

“He was our best blitzer,” said Hughes, who gave Duncan spot duty at linebacker at times the last two years. “We’d bring him off the edge and he’d create havoc. Sometimes you have to make decision with kids about how they will help your team the most. He helped us the most at running back.”

Duncan will see more time on defense than offense when he plays for the East in the 51st annual East/West all-star game tonight. Kickoff is at 7 at Central Valley.

He figures to either be an outside linebacker or strong safety when he walks on at Eastern Washington University.

“Taylor will end up playing at Eastern,” Hughes said matter of factly. “He’ll be on the red turf before he’s done.”

Hughes says that because he knows Duncan’s work ethic.

Duncan earned a starting position at linebacker his sophomore year but broke a collarbone in the first game and missed the rest of the season.

He earned the starting job at running back as a junior and stayed there last season. He was a first team All-Greater Spokane League selection last fall.

Duncan gained just a little more than 1,000 yards last year, including 811 in Greater Spokane League games – fourth most among running backs.

“He was a great downhill runner, very tough,” Hughes said. “But for college, his best skills fill being at linebacker.”

Duncan followed in his dad’s footsteps at LC. Ian Duncan, who graduated in 1988, was an outside linebacker and running back for the Tigers.

“He played primarily on defense,” Taylor said.

Duncan graduated with a 3.7 grade-point average. He was LC’s male scholar athlete, team captain and earned the most inspirational award.

“That meant a lot to me,” Duncan said of the inspirational award. “It made me realize I was that person to the team.”

What he takes from playing football is a life lesson.

“I learned a lot about leadership,” he said. “I came out of my shell. I wasn’t so much introverted but I was super quiet and shy. Football taught me to be a leader.”

Duncan also leaves knowing he helped get LC back to a level of respectability.

“We got LC back to where it used to be,” he said. “They’re going to be good this year. They have a lot of returning players.”

The player who will replace him at running back is someone he knows intimately. It’s his brother, Cameron.

“He’s put in a lot of work and he’ll have a great season,” Taylor said.

Duncan will long remember his last game, a 24-0 loss to eventual state champ Chiawana.

“After the game I hugged Coach (Steve) Bennett (offensive coordinator),” Duncan said. “I cried a lot. There were a lot of tears. And he said thank you to me.”

The coach who had the biggest impact on Duncan was former head coach and current defensive coordinator Tom Yearout.

“He inspired me a lot,” Duncan said. “He also coached my dad.”

Duncan understood why he wasn’t a two-way starter.

“As much as I ran the ball, it would have been extremely hard to play both ways,” he said.

Hughes will miss Duncan.

“He’s always been a naturally gifted athlete,” Hughes said. “What I’ve always liked about him is he helped those teammates who may not has been as gifted as him and brought them along.”