After one season as Adair County’s head football coach, Cameron Dukes is stepping away from the sidelines and returning to the field. He has resigned from his position as a coach and teacher to pursue an opportunity with the Vegas Knight Hawks.
For Dukes, the decision came down to a chance to keep playing a game he has loved since he was a child. While he enjoyed coaching, he said he realized he was not ready to quit playing himself.
“I’ve always had the love for playing. It’s always been my passion, and it’s always been my dream to be a professional athlete,” Dukes said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was six years old to continue playing professional football. Once the opportunity came, it was just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up on.”
Dukes said being around the players and watching them compete brought back his desire to play.
“I think leaving the game when I wasn’t ready kind of led me back to it,” Dukes said. “Just seeing the kids playing, the passion they play with, just made me realize that I wasn’t ready to take the pads off.”
At the end of the semester, he will go to Las Vegas to continue his professional football career, but he said there are things about Adair County he will miss, especially the relationships he built with the players and coaching staff.
“I just think the bonds that you build with everybody, the coaching staff, the football players, and just seeing the program change in the right direction,” Dukes said. “I think that we made a great step moving forward.”
During his time with the Indians, Dukes worked to set expectations for the program and wanted players to understand the importance of putting in the work. He hopes they continue to carry that mindset into next season.
“The mindset of a working mentality, that you have to work for everything that you want,” Dukes said. “And I think just the mindset of expecting greatness out of yourself and setting the standard high for yourself.”
He also hopes players continue to set goals for themselves and work toward them without worrying about what others think they can accomplish.
Although his time leading the Indians was brief, he hopes the lessons from his time with the team stick with them.
As he gets ready for his return to Las Vegas, he will have the chance to follow the same advice he gave his players and keep chasing a dream he has had since he was six years old.
