Amile Jefferson

Classroom

A history major with a 3.09 GPA, Jefferson is one of eight players in Duke history to be named to the All-ACC Academic Team three times. In 2015-16, he has the opportunity to become the first Duke player ever to earn the honor four times. He is on track to earn his degree from Duke in the spring of 2016 and was the recipient of Duke’s Dr. Deryl Hart Award, presented to the team’s top scholar-athlete, in both 2014 and 2015.

Character

After serving as a co-captain on Duke’s 2015 National Championship team, Jefferson was again elected a captain for the 2015-16 season. He is one of just 11 players to serve as a two-time captain at Duke in the last two decades and the first since current assistant coach Jon Scheyer in 2009 and 2010. The Blue Devils’ 2015-16 team features seven newcomers, and Jefferson took time to meet with each of them individually prior to the start of the school year to impress upon them the standards of Duke basketball and offer any guidance needed as the newcomers got acclimated to college life. Known as the Blue Devils’ vocal leader, Jefferson has repeatedly said that he takes it upon himself to bring energy to the team on a daily basis. In the latter stages of Duke’s National Championship run in 2015, a change in the Blue Devils’ lineup necessitated moving Jefferson from the starting lineup to a reserve role. During that time, former Duke All-American Jahlil Okafor said Jefferson was “one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever played with.”

Community

As a member of the Duke men’s basketball program, Jefferson participates in good works on a regular basis. He and his teammates are involved in the Read with the Blue Devils program, which seeks to aid area teachers in encouraging children to read at an early age and set goals for themselves. Jefferson also has made frequent visits to the Duke Children’s Hospital and the Emily K Center, whose mission is to inspire students to dream big, act with character and purpose, and to reach their potential as leaders in their communities. During the fall of 2015, Jefferson and his teammates participated in a basketball clinic with children from the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development.

Competition

A physical and active force on both ends of the floor, Jefferson is Duke’s active leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. His technical ability in the post and penchant for grabbing offensive rebounds have led him to post a .614 field goal percentage for his career through his first three seasons, the second-best in Duke history for a player with a minimum of 200 field goals made. He ranked among the ACC’s leading rebounders in 2014-15 with an average of 5.8 rebounds per game, including an average of 2.3 per contest on the offensive glass. In his tenure at Duke, Jefferson has helped lead the Blue Devils to a 91-19 (.827) overall record, a 42-12 (.778) ACC mark and the 2015 NCAA Championship.