Clifford Dukes (born June 26, 1981) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

who is currently a free agent. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at Michigan State from 2000 to 2004. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams in 2005. Dukes has also been a member of the New Orleans Saints. After not having a chance to play in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

, Dukes signed with the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL in 2008. In 2010, he saw his first chance for real playing time with the Storm. As a result, he was named to the All-Arena team in 2010. In 2011, he led the league with 12.5 sacks and was named the 2011 Game Tape Exchange Defensive Lineman of the Year. He was traded to the Kansas City Command in 2012, only to be traded to the

Arizona Rattlers The Arizona Rattlers are a professional indoor American football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League ...

two days later.

Early life

Born the son of Gloria Dukes, Cliff attended Great Mills High School in Great Mills, Maryland. There he was a standout member of the football team according to his coaches and peers. A two ways player, he played both

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

and linebacker. On defense his senior season, he recorded 105 tackles (56 solos, 49 assists), including eight for losses, and intercepted two passes, while also forced four fumbles and recovered three. On offense, he rushed for 619 yards on 119 carries and scored seven touchdowns.

College career

Upon high school graduation, Dukes accepted a football scholarship to

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

where he majored in family community services, and was a member of the football team.

Professional career

Tampa Bay Storm

After not having a chance to play in the

Kansas City Command

On February 7 2012, Dukes was traded to the Kansas City Command in 2012, for quarterback

Stephen Wasil Stephen "Steve" Wasil (born April 14, 1984) is a former Arena football quarterback who played for the Muskegon Thunder, Texas Copperheads, Albany Firebirds, Alabama Vipers, Kansas City Command and Tampa Bay Storm. He is currently the Offensive C ...

Arizona Rattlers

On February 9, 2012, Dukes was traded by the Command to the

for defensive back J. C. Neal. Dukes helped the Rattlers reach ArenaBowl XXVI in 2013, where they defeated the Soul for their second consecutive championship.

Baltimore Brigade

On July 26, 2018, Dukes was assigned to the Baltimore Brigade, just days prior to ArenaBowl XXXI.

References

External links

Toronto Argonauts bio

St. Louis Rams bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dukes, Clifford 1981 births Living people American players of Canadian football American football defensive linemen Canadian football defensive linemen Michigan State Spartans football players St. Louis Rams players New Orleans Saints players Tampa Bay Storm players Toronto Argonauts players Kansas City Command players Arizona Rattlers players Baltimore Brigade players Players of American football from Maryland