How Duke defensive lineman Christian Rorie worked his way back to the Blue Devils
In an 8-part series, the News & Observer and Herald Sun will be examining Duke’s football depth chart, position by position, as the season opener on Sept. 3 at Charlotte draws near.
Christian Rorie’s football career arrived at a crossroads before he’d even enrolled at Duke.
Back in 2018, while a senior at Raleigh’s Enloe High School, Rorie suffered a torn ACL that required reconstructive surgery to his left knee.
Already a Duke commit, Rorie worked with Duke’s medical staff to rehabilitate his knee and, in the process, solidify his passion for the sport.
“When it first happened,” Rorie said, “there was definitely a lot of fear. At first I was really scared. I questioned myself. Questioned a lot of things. But really I’m appreciative for that experience because it made me realize how much I love football. It gave me the great opportunity to show myself how much I love this sport.”
Now, three years after the injury and following a grueling rehab that required a follow-up surgical procedure, Rorie’s worked his way back to being an important player in the middle of Duke’s defensive line. At 6-6 and 305 pounds, he finds himself solidly in the rotation at defensive tackle.
“Now he’s in a position where this is his first time since he’s been here where he’s healthy,” Duke defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Ben Albert said. “And I’m excited for him. And he’s been working really, really hard. Not a finished product yet, but he’s on the right path.”
The final months of Rorie’s senior year at Enloe meant heading to Durham after he’d finished his school day so he could go through physical rehabilitation. While there, he worked out alongside current Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mark Gilbert, a Duke player at the time who was recovering from a hip injury that nearly ended his career.
“It was a great experience seeing his work ethic coming back from his injury,” Rorie said “And I was like, oh yeah, I’ve got to compete. I’ve got to come back, too.”
School and rehab work were just two parts of Rorie’s days. Once done at Duke, he’d go work his part-time job at Applebee’s where he’d cook and wait tables.
“It was a lot,” Rorie said, adding that he “kind of misses” that whole routine because of what he proved to himself.
“I believe God doesn’t give us more than we can handle,” Rorie said. “He showed me just what I can handle and what I can handle is a lot going through that. I just feel like it made me a better person.”
Rorie didn’t play in 2019 and played in seven games (54 snaps) last season. Even with so little experience, he’s played well enough this preseason to move up the depth chart.
“He stayed the course,” Albert said. “He continued to work. He was diligent. He listened. He did everything we asked him to do.”
Rorie’s emergence comes as Duke’s defensive line depth chart is experiencing a make over after defensive end Chris Rumph and Vic Dimukeje were selected in last spring’s NFL Draft. Only one starter, Ben Frye, returns to the line and he is moving out to defensive end this season after playing defensive tackle.
In August, defensive tackle Gary Smith had arthroscopic surgery to repair a knee injury. While he’s expected to play in the season opener at Charlotte, he still missed two weeks of practice.
So sophomores like Rorie, DeWayne Carter and Aeneas Peebles will be counted on a defensive tackle. At the ends, sophomore Michael Reese earned playing time with a strong camp while Albert called another sophomore end, R.J. Oben, the team’s best edge rusher.
Rorie said everyone in the defensive line group is aware outside voices are doubting them.
“The vibe is different, especially with the d line,” Rorie said. “I just love our work ethic. Every day is tough and it’s supposed to be, especially losing two guys who went to the NFL. I feel like there’s a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. A lot of people think that we’re going to lose our step but that’s not the case.
“Coach Albert knows that. He wants to prove that. We want to prove it more.”
Projected Duke defensive end depth chart
| STARTER | Height | Weight |
Ben Frye (SR) | 6-3 | 255 |
RJ Oben (SO) | 6-4 | 255 |
| RESERVES | ||
| Michael Reese (SO) | 6-4 | 250 |
| Ahmad Craig (SO) | 6-5 | 250 |
| Caleb Oppan (SO) | 6-4 | 235 |
Projected Duke defensive tackle depth chart
| STARTERS | Height | Weight |
| DeWayne Carter (SO) | 6-3 | 300 |
| Christian Rorie (SO) | 6-6 | 305 |
| RESERVES | ||
| Gary Smith (SO) | 6-2 | 320 |
| Aeneas Peebles (SO) | 6-2 | 280 |
Previous Duke preview installments
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Wide receivers
Special teams
Other Triangle ACC previews
Defensive line
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Wide receivers
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "How Duke defensive lineman Christian Rorie worked his way back to the Blue Devils."