Athens, Ohio — Darian “Duce” Chestnut wrote #LongLiveFoop at the bottom of his T-shirt so it could be seen hanging from underneath his No. 20 jersey.
The Syracuse freshman defensive back wanted to honor his childhood friend who died on Friday — one day before Chestnut made his college football debut.
Despite entering the game with a heavy heart, Chestnut made his presence felt early and often with timely tackles and swarming defensive pressure during Syracuse’s 29-9 season-opening victory over Ohio.
Chestnut’s defining moment came as the game waned with 2:45 left and Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke launched a deep pass to wide receiver Ty Walton.
Chestnut watched the ball as it zipped past Walton and extended his left arm to pull down his first career interception. Chestnut caught the ball in the end zone and quickly shifted his feet to send a now-defending Walton to the turf before making a 25-yard return, which he celebrated with a dance move after pointing to the sky.
It was a fitting conclusion for the top recruit in Syracuse’s 2021 class, giving him a total of eight tackles (five solo), one critical pass breakup on fourth down and the pick that officially sealed the deal.
Chestnut called the interception “a dream come true” after the game. He dedicated the play and his overall performance to his friend “Foop,” who he grew up with in Camden, New Jersey.
“That interception was so big for me and the family back at home,” Chestnut said. “He was the first thing that went through my mind. A celebration to point to the sky, knowing he looking down on me.”
The two attended Camden High School together. They were part of the same friend group and even played on the same basketball and football teams before “Foop” stopped playing sports.
Chestnut said he was able to compartmentalize and still manage to be effective within the game with the support of his mother, father and brother. Chestnut’s mom, who made the trip to Athens, shouted “Good job, son!” following his postgame interview that marked the end of a night he’ll remember for a long time.
When Chestnut signed his letter of intent to play at Syracuse, he said he wanted to be the “New King of New York.” He enrolled early in January to get acclimated to the Orange’s 3-3-5 defense. He earned a coveted spot as a true freshman on the Orange’s starting defensive unit after impressing his coaches during preseason camp.
And now he’s putting everything he’s learned to the test — when it matters — and could be the next star in Syracuse’s group of defensive backs to follow the likes of NFL rookies Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Trill Williams and his own teammate, Garrett Williams.
“Duce is just showing the world and the country what I already knew about him,” said Williams, who finished with four tackles and one pass breakup. “I’ve been saying he’s just a natural playmaker. He knows how to get to the ball as you saw today. I think me and him are going to have a lot of fun together this year.”
Williams said he didn’t have to motivate Chestnut much despite the loss of his friend. He just told his younger teammate that he knew what to do and he knew who to do it for.
The two developed a close bond after offseason preparation and several conversations over the summer about what to expect in the team’s season opener. They talked specifically about the importance of getting stops on fourth down and how they could be huge momentum builders.
For instance, Ohio was in desperate need of a touchdown trailing 15-6 in the third quarter and opted to go for it on fourth down, but Chestnut broke up Rourke’s pass to cause a turnover on downs.
It was another signature play for the Orange freshman, who looked like a veteran at times on Saturday, especially after some “light motivation” from sixth-year coach Dino Babers.
“I lost my voice over his first play, and I’m like, ‘You can’t do that,’ " Babers said in reference to a missed opportunity early in the game.
“But I’ll tell you what. You poke that bear and boy did he come around and start playing. I’m not sure I’ve seen a better opening-day performance, especially with how many tackles he had. He really did make big tackles in critical situations out there.”
Chestnut said Babers gave him a thumbs-up after his next open-field tackle on Ohio’s star running back, De’Montre Tuggle.
It was a reminder that he was doing a good job, a job he set out to do for his good friend.
“I just had to focus on the game and put it toward him,” Chestnut said.
Contact Mike Curtis anytime: Email | Twitter
MORE ORANGE FOOTBALL
Syracuse football gets a needed fresh start at Ohio (Brent Axe’s quick hits)
Syracuse football box score at Ohio
Best and worst of Syracuse football’s season opening win at Ohio
Syracuse football runs past Ohio, 29-9, behind career day by Sean Tucker
You Grade the Orange: Rate Syracuse football performance at Ohio
ORANGE FOOTBALL FANS
Sideline gear | Season schedule | Stream games on fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV