PRO (113-75/9-7): Was the top free agent acquisition
by the Steelers prior to the 2004 season…signed with the team March 12, 2004, as
an unrestricted free agent from Philadelphia…originally drafted by the Eagles in
the third round (71st overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft…was a
three-time (1998, 1999, 2002) offensive MVP for the Eagles…had three 1,000-yard
rushing seasons in Philadelphia…recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award in 2001
for the Eagles…named to the All-Madden Team in 1999…is a versatile running back
who has been considered one of the top receiving backs in the NFL...has 287
career receptions.
2005 (5-1/0-0): Served as the backup to both
Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis for most of the season…played in five games and
earned one start (Week 10 vs. Cleveland)…was inactive for the first two games
while recovering from knee surgery during training camp…9/25
vs. New England: Saw action
in a reserve role…did not carry or have a reception…10/10 at San Diego: Was inactive…11/6
at Green Bay: Saw his first
action in four weeks and got the bulk of the carries after Willie Parker injured
his ankle…finished with 76 yards on 15 carries (5.1 avg.) with a long of
17…added two catches for nine yards and a long of nine…scored a three-yard
touchdown to give the Steelers a 20-10 lead late in the fourth quarter…11/13 vs. Cleveland: Started at RB for the first time this
season…rushed 17 times for 64 yards (3.8 avg.) and a long of 11…also had two
catches for 16 yards with a long of nine…11/20 at Baltimore: Was inactive…11/28 at Indianapolis: Played
primarily as the Steelers' third-down back…finished with six yards on three
carries…12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Had three carries for two yards (0.7
avg.) and a long of eight…added two catches for nine yards and a long of
five…was inactive for the final four regular-season games…AFC
Wild Card Game 1/8 at Cincinnati: Was inactive…AFC
Divisional Game 1/15 at Indianapolis: Was inactive…AFC
Championship Game 1/22 at
Denver: Was
inactive…Super Bowl XL 2/5 vs. Seattle: Dressed but did not
play.
2004 (10-10/2-0):
Got off to a quick
start, running for 707 yards in the first seven games...a hamstring injury
limited him to three appearances in the final nine games...finished the season
with 830 yards on 192 carries (4.3 avg.) and a touchdown...9/12 vs. Oakland: Was impressive in his
Steelers' debut, rushing for 91 yards on 24 carries (3.8 avg.)…also had a
reception for three yards...9/12 at
Baltimore:
Totaled 57 yards on 16 carries for a 3.6 yards...9/26 at Miami: Recorded his first 100-yard
game as a Steeler—the 14th of his career…finished with 101 yards on 22 carries
for a 4.6-yard average…had a long run of 38 yards...10/3 vs. Cincinnati: Became the first Steeler to
rush for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games since 2002…finished with 123
yards on 25 carries, a 4.9-yard average, and a long of 16 yards…10/10 vs. Cleveland: Recorded his third straight
100-yard rushing performance for the first time in his career, the first time by
a Steelers halfback in two years…also scored his first TD as a Steeler on a
25-yard run…played on an extremely sore toe after having a toenail on his right
big toe removed because of an infection…finished with 117 yards on 21 carries
and a long of 25 yards...10/17 at
Dallas: Nearly recorded
his fourth straight 100-yard game, only to have a holding call nullify a big
gain that would have put him over 100 yards…finished with 93 yards on 18 carries
(5.2 avg.), including a long of 24 yards…also had two receptions for 13
yards...10/31 vs. New
England: Reached the
100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time this season—one short of his career
high—gaining 125 yards on 25 carries...11/7 vs. Philadelphia: Was inactive due to a
hamstring injury...12/5 at
Jacksonville: Returned
to the starting lineup and led the team with 51 yards on 17 carries, including a
long of eight yards...12/12 vs. N.Y.
Jets: Finished with 51
yards on 16 carries…also had two receptions for 30 yards, including a long
21-yard gain on a screen pass...12/18
at N.Y. Giants:
Was inactive because of a hamstring injury...1/2 at Buffalo: Looked strong in his limited
action…finished with 21 yards on eight carries...AFC
Divisional Playoff Game 1/15 vs. N.Y.
Jets:
Seemingly regained his form prior to suffering his hamstring
injury…finished with 54 yards on 11 carries, including 28 yards on the final
game-winning field-goal drive in overtime...AFC
Championship Game 1/23 vs. New
England: Averaged just 2.6 yards (26 total)
on 10 carries, including a long of six yards.
2003 (16-4/2-2):
Was the leader of
the Eagles' three-man running back attack in 2003...concluded the season with
career highs in rushing average (4.8) and receiving average (10.6), and
ranked first in the NFL in yards
per touch (6.4)...9/14 vs. New
England:
Recorded the Eagles' first touchdown at Lincoln Financial Field on a
one-yard run...10/12 at
Dallas: Had a
career long 52-yard TD reception...11/10 at Green Bay: Made key back-to-back
11-yard gains on a draw play and a dump pass to put the Eagles in position to
score the game-winning TD...11/16 vs.
N.Y. Giants: Had
a 38-yard catch and run down the sidelines that set up a TD reception one play
later...11/30 at
Carolina: Scored
his third rushing TD of the season on a two-yard run...12/7 vs. Dallas: Posted his second receiving
TD of the season on a shovel pass from McNabb...12/21 vs. San Francisco: Scored two rushing TDs and
moved into sixth place on
the Eagles' all-time rushing TD list...NFC
Divisional Playoff Game 1/11/04 vs.
Green Bay:
Caught a seven-yard shovel pass for a TD from McNabb...NFC
Championship Game 1/18/04 vs.
Carolina: Recorded a career playoff high 79
rushing yards on 13 carries (6.1 avg.)...set the franchise playoff record for
career receptions (35) and finished second in
rushing yards (384).
2002 (16-16/2-2):
Voted by his
teammates as the offensive MVP...recorded his third 1,000-yard rushing season
(only Wilbert Montgomery and Ricky Watters also have three 1,000-yard seasons in
club history)...became the second Eagles' back to top the 1,000 yards (1,029)
and 500 receiving yards (541) in a single season (Wilbert Montgomery had 1,402
yards rushing and 521 yards receiving in 1981)...produced four 100-yard rushing
games, giving him 13 in his career to move past Ricky Watters (12) and into
third on the team's all-time list (the Eagles were 10-3 in those
games)...compiled a career-high 1,570 total yards from scrimmage...attained
personal bests in rushing TDs (5) and receiving TDs (3)...ranked sixth in the
NFC in rushing, second among NFC backs in receiving yards, first among NFL backs
in yards per catch (10.6) and sixth in the NFL in yards-per-touch (4.9 - min.
320 attempts)... 9/29 vs.
Houston: Was named
Monday Night Football "Horse Trailer" player of the game for his efforts...tied
a career high with two TD runs...10/20 vs. Tampa Bay: Rushed for 152 yards, the
second-best total of his career on 24 carries (6.3 avg.)...10/28 vs. N.Y. Giants: Ran for 126 yards on 24
carries (5.3 avg.) and moved into fourth place on the Eagles all-time rushing
list...11/17 vs. Arizona: Totaled 217 yards of total
offense, which included carrying three Cardinals over the goal line on a
four-yard TD catch...rushed for 135 yards on a career-high 31 carries (4.4 avg.)
and caught three balls for 82 yards, including a season high 45-yard
catch-and-run...NFC
Championship Game 1/19 vs. Tampa
Bay:
Had a 20-yard
rushing TD on the Eagles opening drive...finished with 58 yards on 13 carries
(4.5 avg.) and caught six passes for 26 yards.
2001 (13-10/3-3):
Ranked fourth among
the NFL's starting running backs in yards per touch (5.4)...led all NFL backs
with a 9.9 yards-per-catch average...11/11 vs. Minnesota: Recorded 231 yards of total
offense, the second highest total of his career...rushed for 146 yards on 17
carries (8.6 avg.), the third best performance of his career…gained 85 yards on
six receptions (14.2 avg.)...12/22 at
San
Francisco:
Recorded a
career-high 103 yards receiving on nine receptions...became the first Eagles
back to gain more than 100 yards receiving in a game since James Joseph (6-109)
at SF (1/3/94).
2000 (5-5): 9/3 at Dallas: Earned NFC offensive Player
Of the Week and Miller Lite NFL POW honors after rushing for 201 yards, marking
only the second time in team history and the first time in more than 50 years
that an Eagle rushed for over 200 yards (Steve Van Buren collected 205 yards vs.
Pittsburgh on 11/27/49)...totaled 262 total yards from scrimmage eclipsing his
previous high by more than 100 yards (151 at Carolina 11/7/99).
1999 (16-16):
Compiled 1,273
yards to become the third Eagles running back to register back-to-back 1,000
rushing yard seasons (Wilbert Montgomery 1978-79, and Ricky Watters
1995-97)...accounted for an NFL-best 40.9 percent of his team's total offense
and accounted for five 100-yard rushing games...was selected as the first
alternate for the NFC Pro Bowl squad behind Marshall Faulk (starter), Stephen
Davis, and Emmitt Smith...was named to the All-Madden team...posted back-to-back
100-yard rushing games for the first time in his career versus Dallas (10/10,
110 yards) and at Chicago (10/17, 101 yards).
1998 (16-13):
Led the Eagles in
rushing (1,065 yards), receptions (57), total yards from scrimmage (1,497) and
TDs (six) while playing the majority of the year with a painful hernia...became
the first Eagles' draft pick to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark since Wilbert
Montgomery (1981) and the first Eagle to lead the team in both rushing and
receptions since Herschel Walker (1993)...originally entered 1998 training camp
as the number-two running back...9/6
vs. Seattle: An
ankle injury to Charlie Garner gave Staley his first NFL start in the
season-opener...9/13 at
Atlanta: Scored
his first TD on a one-yard dive...9/27 vs. Kansas City: Had a career-high three TDs
(2 rushing/1 receiving)...12/27 vs.
N.Y. Giants:
Capped the year with the longest run of his career, a 64-yard TD
scamper that put him over the 1,000-yard mark.
1997 (16-0):
Played well as a
kickoff returner in his rookie season, ranking fifth in the NFC with a 24.2-yard
average…finished with 47 kick returns for 1,137 yards and a long of 57…also had
15 special teams tackles.
COLLEGE: One of the NCAA's best all-around
running backs in 1996...ranked 13th in the country with 1,116 rushing yards en
route to earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors...finished
his two-year career ranked 13th on South Carolina's all-time rushing list with
1,852 yards and 17 TDs on 345 carries (5.4 avg.)...an extremely versatile back,
he also hauled in 59 receptions for 489 yards (8.3 avg.) and two TDs and
returned 26 kickoffs for 566 yards...transferred to South Carolina from Itawamba
(MS) J.C...majored in sociology.
PERSONAL:
Is single and has a
daughter, Shakia (8), and a son, Damani Zihir (5)...is a native of
Columbia, S.C., where he currently resides in the offseason...it may have been
tough for Staley to spell "chrysanthemum" but it wasn't difficult for the
selection panel of the American Advertising Federation to choose that NFL/United
Way spot as a winner of a 2001 ADDY Award for creative
advertising...was an all-state selection at Airport H.S. in Columbia...hosted a
pizza party for 100 foster children from the Camden (NJ)
Division of Youth and Family Services
and their foster families at the Camden Children's Garden in 2001...underwent a
grueling yet innovative rehabilitation period prior to the 2001 season to become
the first successful return from a Lis Franc injury...annually holds The
Duce Staley Football Camp at West
Chester (PA) University, which benefits several charities…including First Steps
Program in South Carolina, the Variety Club and Direct Care for Kids...Launched Catch
22 Foundation to help single mothers...donated $25,000 to South Carolina
Governor Jim Hodges' First Steps early childhood education program in 1999
(Dec. 23) to help improve education in
the state...Full name: Duce Staley.
Career Single-Game
Highs
Regular Season
Yards Rushing – 201
(9/3/00 at
Dallas)
Rushing Attempts – 31
(11/17/02 vs.
Arizona)
Longest Run – 64t (12/27/98 vs. N.Y.
Giants)
TDs Rushing – 2 (three times, Last:
12/21/03 vs.
San
Francisco)
100-yard Games – 17 (Last:
10/31/04 vs. New England)
Receptions – 11 (Twice, Last:
9/9/01 vs.
St.
Louis)
Yards Receiving – 103
(12/21/01 at
San
Francisco)
Longest Reception – 52t
(10/12/03 at
Dallas)
Postseason
Yards Rushing – 79 (1/18/03 vs.
Carolina)
Rushing Attempts – 18
(1/11/03 vs.
Atlanta, 1/19/02 at
Chicago)
Longest Run – 22 (1/11/04 vs.
Green
Bay)
TDs Rushing – 1 (1/19/03 vs.
Tampa Bay, 1/27/02 at
St.
Louis)
100-yard Games –
0
Receptions – 8 (1/27/02 at
St.
Louis)
Yards Receiving – 58
(1/27/02 vs.
St.
Louis)
Longest Reception – 23t
(1/12/02 vs.
Tampa Bay)
2005
RUSHING
RECEIVING
Date
Opponent
Att Yds Avg
Lg
TD No Yds Avg
Lg
TD
9/11 TENNESSEE
INACTIVE
9/18 at Houston
INACTIVE
9/25 NEW ENGLAND 0
0 0.0 — 0 0 0 0.0 —
0
10/10
at San Diego
INACTIVE
10/16 JACKSONVILLE
INACTIVE
10/23
at Cincinnati
INACTIVE
10/31
BALTIMORE
INACTIVE
11/6 at Green Bay
15
76 5.1 17 1 2 9 4.5 9 0
11/13
CLEVELAND 17 64 3.8
11
0
2
16 8.0 9
0
11/20
at Baltimore
INACTIVE
11/28
at Indianapolis
3
6 2.0 4
0
0
0 0.0 —
0
12/4 CINCINNATI
3
2 0.7 8 0 2 9 4.5 5 0
12/11
CHICAGO
INACTIVE
12/18
at Minnesota
INACTIVE
12/24
at Cleveland
INACTIVE
1/1 DETROIT
INACTIVE
SEASON TOTALS 38 148 3.9 17 1 6 34 5.7 9 0
POSTSEASON
1/8 at Cincinnati
INACTIVE
1/15 at Indianapolis
INACTIVE
1/23 at Denver
INACTIVE
2/5 SEATTLE
DID NOT PLAY
POSTSEASON TOTALS -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
