Duce Staley to Represent ICC in the MCJC Hall of Fame

FULTON, Miss. - Duce Staley's football journey has taken him from Fulton to the NFL and now back into the spotlight at the state level.

Itawamba Community College will be represented in this year's Mississippi Community and Junior College Sports (MCJC) Hall of Fame by one of the most accomplished players in program history as Staley is set to be honored during the annual induction ceremony at 6 p.m. on April 28, 2026, at the Clyde Muse Center at Hinds Community College.

A 1995 graduate of ICC, Staley made his mark with the Indians in a hurry and quickly established himself as one of the top running backs in junior college football. During his time at ICC, Staley emerged as one of the program's top players, earning NJCAA All-America honors and helping the Indians capture the North-Half Division championship in 1994. He was also selected to play in the Mississippi community college all-star game following that season.

After starring at ICC, Staley kept rolling at the University of South Carolina. He played two seasons for the Gamecocks and rushed for 1,852 yards and 18 touchdowns on 345 carries while averaging 5.4 yards per rush. His 187-yard performance against UCF in the 1996 season opener still stands as the best opening-day rushing performance in program history.

That run at South Carolina helped launch a long NFL career. Staley was selected in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and went on to play 10 seasons in the league. Over 114 career games, he rushed for 5,785 yards and 24 touchdowns on 1,430 carries while adding 287 receptions for 2,587 yards and 10 more scores. He topped 1,000 rushing yards three times, became just the second player in Eagles history to rush for more than 200 yards in a game and closed his playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was part of the Super Bowl XL championship team.

When his playing days ended, Staley stayed in the game and built a strong resume on the sideline. He began his coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 and served in multiple roles, including special teams quality control coach, running backs coach and assistant head coach. He was also part of the Eagles staff that won Super Bowl LII.

Staley later worked with the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2024 as running backs coach. He is now in his 17th year as an NFL coach.

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Staley and his wife, Maria, are the parents of seven children.