ALTOONA, Pa. -- Even Hingle McCringleberry would get a big smile out of this dude's name.
Penn State picked up a good player and perhaps the new all-time greatest name in program history Wednesday afternoon. He is ... drumroll please ...
Storm Duck, a cornerback who had been in the transfer portal and announced that he's committed to the Nittany Lions.
Thank you God #WeAre pic.twitter.com/PJwUtcuky5
— Storm Duck (@storm_duck) December 28, 2022
Yes, this is his real name. In full, it's Storm Chandler Duck.
He was second-team All-ACC this season for North Carolina, playing in 12 games with three interceptions, 12 passes defended, one forced fumble and 46 tackles (36 solo). He played in 13 games as a true freshman for the Tar Heels in 2019, then battled injuries that limited him to two games in 2020 and six in 2021. He has five interceptions and 103 tackles in his career and will have one season of eligibility for the Lions.
This is a really good get for Penn State from a football standpoint. Duck should be able to step right in next year and take over the starting cornerback spot vacated by Joey Porter Jr. turning pro.
But let's be honest. This young man's name is so eye catching that it'll be impossible not to notice him. He has, without a doubt, one of the greatest names in college football history.
How did it come about?
The Charlotte News and Observer did a story about his name a few years ago. And as you can imagine, it's very interesting.
His parents' names are Todd and Phyllis Duck, and this is how they came up with the name, according to the News and Observer:
Phyllis Duck loved soap operas. When she was in her 20’s, one of her favorites was ‘The Bold and the Beautiful.’ One of the show’s main characters was Storm Logan. Duck said she was fascinated by the name. “I said if ‘I ever have a son, I’m going to name him Storm,’” Phyllis Duck recalled in a recent interview.
About 13 years later, she was married and pregnant with her second child. And it was a boy. She told her husband, Todd, her plan. Todd Duck said he wasn’t immediately on board. “Why don’t we name him Chandler Storm Duck?” he asked her. “Nope, Storm Chandler Duck,” she replied. “I like the name, Storm.” And so, when her son was born on Dec. 15, 2000, they named him Storm Chandler Duck.
Storm has a sister named Tempest, who's named after actress Tempestt Bledsoe from "The Cosby Show," per the Charlotte newspaper.
Welcome to Penn State, Storm Duck. Maybe someday this real-life name can be mentioned right here below alongside some of the other "greatest" names in college football history, including Penn State's own Hingle McCringleberry.