Gaffney's Savon Dukes is the prototypical football player, blessed with size and speed. T he book on Savon Dukes claims, that in addition to size, speed, strength and a committed work ethic, he likes contact.

Or as co-defensive coordinator Ben Fuller puts it, “He’s a violent player.”

Just ask the Clover High running back who was knocked out of the game last year after a hit by Dukes.

“I’ve always stood out,” said the 6-3, 210-pound junior. “I just love the game and love to hit people.”

He’s stood out because he’s been one of the best - if not the best - player on the field since he was a young boy.

His stepfather saw so much potential in Dukes that he registered him for organized football at only four years of age.

At Gaffney High, Dukes was so good as a freshman that he made the leap to the varsity.

“Coach (Kevin) Phillips called me and said they would love to have me on the varsity.”

A hamstring injury kept him sidelined for the varsity games, but he was able to participate in practice and learn from eventual North-South All- Star Chris Adams.

Dukes also measures up where it matters most in football - toughness.

Last season as a starter, he was one of the most effective players on defense despite battling through another injury.

Dukes broke his foot in the preseason and showed his toughness by trying to play through the injury. However, the unrelenting pain finally forced him to miss several games last season.

“I didn’t want to lose my spot so I played but it got worse and worse,” he said.

In the offseason he became a workout warrior, improving his strength and finishing second in his weight class at the state strength meet.

As an inside linebacker, he will have key duties in many situations. But first and foremost, his job is to stop the run.

“My job is to read run first,” he said.

As a junior, he’s added team leader to his to-do list.

“I just want to be the leader of the defense,” Dukes said. “I just have to keep our focus, make sure we play as a team and don’t let anybody slack off.”

If it’s possible, Dukes is doing more things - like reacting a step quicker to the football - this preseason to get the coaches excited.

After dominating a recent practice as a highlight-reel hitting machine, the coaches said, “He now realizes that he’s better than everybody else.”

But will the team, or more specifically the defense, which could start as many as seven sophomores and three juniors, be better than anybody else. Dukes thinks so.

“We are geting things down,” he said. “We will be pretty good.”

Dukes already is.