Mind, Body and Spirit: Former Dukes Football Player Leading New Medical School in Chicago
A Former JMU Athlete Leading a New Medical School Former James Madison University football player John Lucas Jr. has taken on a major leadership role in medical education. Lucas now serves as the founding dean and chief academic officer of the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine at The Chicago School. While his career path has […]
How Napier and LaFrance are building JMU football for 2026
A New Era Begins at James Madison Since becoming head coach of James Madison Dukes football in December, Billy Napier has moved quickly to reshape the program. In just a few months, Napier assembled a staff of 35 coaches and brought in a recruiting class of 62 players as he prepares the program for the […]
Hendrick uses family ‘backbone,’ multi-layered prep in push for NFL Draft selection
A Standout Season Leads to NFL Aspirations Former James Madison Dukes football linebacker Trent Hendrick has taken the next step toward a professional football career. Hendrick officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on January 28 after completing a standout senior season at James Madison University. During the 2025 season, Hendrick recorded 106 total tackles […]
Different paths brought Amar Thomas and Zach Greenberg back to JMU
A Busy Offseason in Harrisonburg The past several months have been a period of rapid change for James Madison Dukes football. The program introduced Billy Napier as its new head coach while still preparing for its first appearance in the College Football Playoff under former coach Bob Chesney. Once the playoff run ended, attention across […]
JMU Football and the Power of a 20-Year Program Build
A Program Built Over Two Decades The story of James Madison Dukes football is one of long term planning and steady development. Rather than emerging overnight, the program’s recent success is the result of a process that has unfolded over more than twenty years. A key turning point came in 2004 when James Madison University […]
Duke study examines football’s impact on Black men’s brain health
Researchers at Duke University are leading a groundbreaking study exploring how repeated head impacts from tackle football may affect memory, cognitive function, mental health, and dementia risk in Black men over age 50. The research focuses on a population that faces higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias but remains underrepresented in neurological studies. […]
How a small Virginia mountain school slowly became college football’s most unlikely national title contender
When Jeff Bourne arrived at James Madison University in 1999, he saw something most people could not. The campus had a modest 12,500 seat football stadium and a program that had existed for barely a quarter century. The Dukes had just finished a three win season, and the university itself had only begun admitting male […]
Dukes had an interesting start to recruiting under new head coach Billy Napier
An Unusual Start to the Napier Era The early days of the Billy Napier era at James Madison University unfolded in an unusual way. When Napier accepted the role as head coach, the Dukes were still in the middle of preparations for their appearance in the College Football Playoff under outgoing head coach Bob Chesney. […]
