Coach K touched by student's e-mail

DURHAM, N.C. - Andrew Humphries couldn&#39;t believe the news that Mike Krzyzewski might leave Duke to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.<br> <br> The Duke student, who had been a Blue Devils fan since he was a kid, felt helpless. He had to do something - anything to help persuade the Hall of Fame coach not to leave the Blue Devils.<br> <br> So he sent Coach K an e-mail, one impressive enough that Krzyzewski singled out Humphries when the coach held a news conference Monday to announce he was staying with the Blue Devils.<br> <br> For Humphries, 19, an act of desperation turned into the thrill of his life.<br> <br> ``In the tiniest way, I was able to become a part of that history and lore that is Duke basketball,&#39;&#39; Humphries said Tuesday. ``I&#39;m not going into the record books or anything, but somewhere in there, my name is in the mix of things that happened in Duke basketball. So it&#39;s really special in that way.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s as good as it&#39;s ever gotten, outside of Duke winning national championships.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> In the e-mail he sent last Thursday night, Humphries, a junior biology major who grew up in Waynesboro, Va., recounted shooting basketball in his driveway as a kid, pretending he was hitting shots to win the national championship for Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils.<br> <br> Eventually, he wrote, he realized that he would not play for the Blue Devils. But once he came to Duke, Humphries began camping out at ``Krzyzewskiville&#39;&#39; to attend games at Cameron Indoor Stadium as one of the ``Cameron Crazies.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Even though he doesn&#39;t take to the hardwood, Humphries wrote, he feels a part of the Blue Devils basketball family.<br> <br> ``I got to Duke. And discovered that, yes, I am going to play for Coach K,&#39;&#39; Humphries told the coach. ``I am going to be his sixth man.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> He closed the e-mail by asking Krzyzewski to ``Please still be my coach.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Krzyzewski said the e-mail one of many he received in recent days brought him to tears and reinforced the bond he feels with the school he had led to three national championships in his 24-year tenure.<br> <br> ``That&#39;s the type of relationship that has made this place just different, where it&#39;s not just been our team. It&#39;s been OUR team, with everybody involved,&#39;&#39; he said Monday. ``And hopefully we can keep that going.<br> <br> ``If Andrew&#39;s listening, thanks a lot. You never know what&#39;s read.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Humphries said Krzyzewski&#39;s wife, Mickie, left a message on his cell phone thanking him for the e-mail Monday morning. She invited him to the news conference, but he was unable to attend; he was taking summer classes at the university&#39;s marine laboratory in coastal Beaufort.<br> <br> ``She said the e-mail really meant a lot to her and her husband,&#39;&#39; Humphries said. ``When Mrs. Krzyzewski called, I got goose bumps. I was tearing up a bit. It was unbelievable. When I heard I was mentioned at the press conference, it was the same thing.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The comment made Humphries an instant local celebrity. He drove back to Durham late Monday and was scheduled to do an interview with ESPN&#39;s ``SportsCenter&#39;&#39; at Cameron on Tuesday morning. He also was mentioned in local newspapers and TV reports.<br> <br> ``When someone&#39;s afraid, they do something to make themselves feel a little empowered,&#39;&#39; Humphries said. ``And it ended up being so much more than that.&#39;&#39;