Why Duke football's Eli Pancol was 'dang-near crying at halftime' of Blue Devils win vs Elon

DURHAM — Eli Pancol was "dang-near crying at halftime" of Duke football’s game against Elon .

With the Blue Devils leading at Wallace Wade Stadium, Pancol couldn’t help but think about a 611-day journey that ended with his return to the field on Friday night.

“My emotions were through the roof, I’m not gonna lie,” said Pancol, a sixth-year wide receiver who missed the 2023 season with a lower-body injury.

Duke's report card vs. Elon

Pancol hauled in seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in Duke’s 26-3 victory to open the 2024 season. Through 45 career games, Pancol is closing in on 1,000 receiving yards with six TDs. On Friday, he caught his first pass since the 2022 Military Bowl.

So what almost led to waterworks at halftime?

It was a 55-yard catch late in the second quarter that ignited the emotions, a grab that sparked Duke’s offense and led to the first touchdown of the game. As soon as Pancol saw the coverage, he said he knew was getting the ball.

“Honestly, I had a lot of nerves,” Pancol said. “On the first catch, I didn’t even tuck the ball right. … Once I got hit, I was comfortable. That (long) catch helped a lot, too.”

The emotions returned in the postgame when Pancol connected with his mom, Alison.

“She was just so proud of me,” Pancol said. “She said she was crying and I almost cried at halftime, so it was just a great feeling to be back. I love this team, I love Duke.”

Highlights in Duke's win vs Elon

His seventh and final catch of the game was a 7-yard touchdown pass from Maalik Murphy on third-and-goal in the third quarter.

“Our locker room was ecstatic. … Any player when they come back from an injury, it’s always tough when you’re away from the game,” said first-year Duke coach Manny Diaz.

“But when you’re at this point of his career, when you’re an older guy and suddenly start to stare at life after football in the face, for him, he appreciates every day in this program. Because it’s like a new lease on life and he’s got his football back.”

Eli Pancol’s road to recovery for Duke football

Eli Pancol is making up for lost time, taking advantage of every moment he’s given on and off the field.

An Academic All-ACC selection and graduate who received his media and visual studies degree in 2023, Pancol added a master’s degree in management studies from the Fuqua School of Business in May. He’s currently chasing another master’s degree in business administration.

Pancol started his Duke career in 2019, playing for three coaches along the way: Diaz, Mike Elko and David Cutcliffe.

Pancol suffered two injuries in a 10-month span, including the preseason setback that cost him his 2023 season.

“It’s a terrible feeling. You go through a physical injury, but the hardest part is the mental game,” Pancol said. “. … You just gotta stay the course and your time’s gonna come. You’ll be stronger from it, and I got stronger from it.”

From the time he walked into the media room inside the Yoh Football Center to when he shared a final handshake with teammate Cam Bergeron on his way out, Pancol was wearing a smile that stretched across his face.

“I don’t take anything for granted. Every single practice, every single play, I try to go as hard as I can, because I know it can be taken just like that,” Pancol said as he snapped his fingers.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Why Duke football's Eli Pancol was 'dang-near crying at halftime' of Blue Devils win vs Elon