Austin P. Duke (Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. 1993) signs with the Barcelona Dragons to play, for the first time, in the European League of Football.
In 2013, the Wide Receiver (WR) began his college soccer career with the Charlotte 49ers (NCAA – D1 FBS). He started as a starter and quickly became the leading receiver. The American would end his college career in 2016 as the greatest receiver in the team’s history, with 253 receptions, 3,437 receiving yardsand a total of 25 touchdowns (24 receiving and one rushing).
His impressive college performance had all the eyes of the professional franchises on him. A year later, the Carolina Panthers, franchise of the world’s biggest competition, the NFL, signed him and kept him in the Practice Squad. In 2018, he appeared in 4 preseason games with the team, racking up 69 yards on 9 receptions.
In 2019, Duke played the AAF (Alliance of American Football) with the Atlanta Legends shirt. But that same year, he packed his bags for Canada to sign for the Toronto Argonauts. Finally, the receiver returned to the United States and competed in the XFL, a professional football league parallel to the NFL, where he signed for the New York Guardians, becoming the undisputed starter and recording great statistics, as he was the best Punt Returner in the competition.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to simply play football and be a part of the growth of American Football in Spain. I’m forward to getting around the guys and the coaches. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about Barcelona!”, Duke declared after his signing.