DURHAM -- Before Sean Renfree even had a chance to call Thaddeus Lewis, his predecessor as Duke's starting quarterback, and congratulate him for making the St. Louis Rams' roster, Lewis was on the phone to Renfree on Sunday to congratulate him on a sparkling Duke debut.
"That was fun to see, and I'm really happy for Thad," Renfree said. "He's worked hard. He's gone through some tough things in his career. It just shows if you work hard, you can make it. A lot of that has to do with our coaches and how they expect us to prepare and work."
There were more than a few satisfied smiles around the Duke football program on Saturday, when the Rams released second-year quarterback Keith Null, cementing Lewis' status on the roster.
Of course, it didn't hurt that the Blue Devils didn't miss the four-year starter too much the way Renfree played in the 41-27 win over Elon. But Lewis' progress in two years under Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who has sent more than a few quarterbacks on to the NFL, could be considered a symbol of the Blue Devils' progress as a program.
"Thad is very deserving," Cutcliffe said. "One of the things I told Thad is, 'One of the things that will help you was one of your great frustrations in college.' Thad had to learn three different offenses in college. One of the tests very early for a rookie, particularly for a guy that's a backup, is you have to learn by osmosis to some degree. Thad did a great job of that."
Speaking empirically, there's probably no tougher spot in the NFL to be an undrafted rookie in the third QB spot than St. Louis.
For better or worse, No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford is the short-term and long-term answer at the position for the Rams.
But there's no comparison between that roster spot and no spot at all, and Lewis will get a chance to practice at the NFL level for a year and see what his options are going forward.
He'll also have the benefit of working with veteran A.J. Feeley, Bradford's backup.
(Attempts to reach Lewis for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful.)
Lewis really impressed the Rams' coaches, considering Null started four games last season as a rookie. He completed 22 of 28 passes in his limited preseason action with the Rams, after completing more than 60 percent of his passes in his final two years at Duke.
Asked whether Lewis' progress in the two years Cutcliffe and his staff worked with him would help with recruiting, Cutcliffe chuckled: "If you're a quarterback and you're not smart enough to see what we can do with a quarterback, I don't want you."
But at the same time, Cutcliffe acknowledged that Lewis' resilience and personality made him one of the more rewarding projects of his coaching career.
"They're all different, but I'll tell you something, I'm probably more satisfied with two years with Thad. He is just such a special young man, and it was so satisfying because he's a good person and I love seeing good things happen to good people."
The Blue Devils have moved on from Lewis with Renfree stepping into that role with authority. Lewis has moved on from Duke with his NFL career officially under way. Yet his success still reflects on the Blue Devils, just as their success reflects on him: the first quarterback of the Cutcliffe Era, leaving behind a legacy for the Devils to follow.
