Happy 40th birthday to Raymond Newton “Duke” Preston III, a former three-time letter-winning offensive lineman for Illinois coach Ron Turner.
The all-star center from San Diego’s Mt. Carmel High School was a member of Turner’s 2000 recruiting class. Preston eventually played alongside fellow linemen Dave Diehl, Tony Pashos, Bucky Babcock, Martin O’Donnell and Sean Bubin.
As a senior in 2004, Big Ten coaches selected Preston as honorable mention all-conference. His teammates not only picked him as a team co-captain but also voted him Illinois’ Offensive Player of the Year, ahead of running backs Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey and quarterback Jon Beutjer. Preston, wearing jersey No. 75, yielded only one sack in his final two seasons of play and incurred no penalties as a senior.
With the 122nd pick overall and the 21st choice in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Preston. Preston’s father, Ray, a standout collegian at Syracuse, had a nine-year NFL career with the San Diego Chargers.
Duke played in all 16 of the Bills’ games as a rookie in 2005 and was named to The Sporting News All-Rookie Team. He was a starter in eight of the 16 games in which he appeared the following season, opening holes for running back Willis McGahee, who compiled nearly 1,000 rushing yards that season.
In his third and fourth seasons (2007 and 2008), Preston became a starter for head coach Dick Jauron and helped Marshawn Lynch rush for more than 1,000 yards each year.
Preston played just one additional season in 2009 with the Dallas Cowboys.
After retiring as a player, Preston earned a master’s degree in Christian education from the Dallas Theological Seminary. In 2013, the University of Notre Dame hired him to serve as its director of player development, then he was promoted to head up UND’s student welfare and development program.
Preston left South Bend, Ind., just prior to the beginning of the 2015 season to become the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ director of player engagement.
In 2021, the Bucs promoted him to become the team’s vice president. His primary duties are aimed at character and leadership development, career development, financial education, continued education, and mental health and wellness.
Preston and his wife, Kavanagh, are the parents of four children.
Illini BirthdaysSunday: Gary Francis, football (87)
Monday: Karen Brems Kurreck, gymnastics
Tuesday: Pharoah Gay, track & field (48)
Wednesday: Jim Vopicka, basketball (78)
Thursday: Samantha Postillion, golf
Friday: Chris White, football (60)
Saturday: Ade Adeyemo, football (40)