


Not even one of Duke football’s biggest wins in program history is enough of an excuse to turn in your homework late for one professor.
Duke quarterback Riley Leonard helped lead the Blue Devils to an upset win over No. 9 Clemson on Monday night — but he needed some extra time for his schoolwork.
His professor, however, wasn’t having any of it.
He went 17-for-33 in the air with 175 passing yards while rushing for 98 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown run to put Duke ahead in the third quarter.
However, the biggest challenge for Leonard wasn’t on the field, rather, it was getting his homework done on time.
In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, by the ACC Digital Network, Leonard pleaded with Professor Taylor to give him an extension on his assignment.
“Professor Taylor, if you’re seeing this, please let me turn in my homework late because it’s due tonight I think at 12, so it may already be 12,” Leonard said.
Well, Professor Taylor answered, and despite his excitement over the win, he wasn’t making any exceptions for the classwork.
In a hilarious response, Professor Taylor of Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy shot down the QB’s plea and even suggested that some of his teammates questioned why he didn’t get it done before the big game.
“Hey Riley, great game last night man,” the professor said in a video posted on Duke’s social media. “It was so exciting. Congratulations to you and all your teammates. But you know, [Duke defensive end] Wesley Williams and the other linemen who are in the class, they said they prepared ahead and did it ahead of time. So why didn’t the quarterback?
“So, no way, man. No extension.”
Ouch.
Duke will be back to its regular schedule with games on Saturdays again beginning next week, but Leonard, who is majoring in public policy, might want to plan ahead next time the Blue Devils have a game on a weekday and an assignment is due.
For what it’s worth, Leonard was an Academic All-ACC recipient last year.