It’s all about staying grounded for Riley Leonard.

The successful Duke quarterback, who represented the Blue Devils at ACC Kickoff on Wednesday, rocks a bracelet with the words “you suck” on it.

What gives?

Leonard, the Alabama native who prepped at Fairhope High School, explained the story behind the bracelet, which he said he got from his mother long before he ever stepped foot in Durham.

“For those of you that don’t know, my whole life I’ve kind of been gotten a lot of praise,” Leonard explained. “So, I wanted my mom — I went to my mom one day and said, ‘Hey, someone has to bash me, and tell me I suck to give me motivation.’ She’s, like, ‘Shoot, I’ll do it.’

“Ever since then before every game she calls me, she texted me last night, “Hey, don’t suck at these interviews,” things like that. It just gives me some motivation.”

It seems to be working.

Leonard is coming off a 9-win season in which he threw for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also ran for 699 yards and 13 more scores.

“Obviously people are just now starting to learn about that, but that’s been happening for a long time ever since high school,” Leonard said of the bracelet. “Yeah, it’s a pretty funny tradition we have going.”

Anyone who has a chance to talk to Leonard knows – bracelet or not – there is no more humble and mature quarterback than Leonard.

It didn’t take long for Duke coach Mike Elko to recognize those traits in his quarterback.

“I think he is a phenomenal quarterback,” Elko said Wednesday. “He is a tremendous leader. He is an amazing young man.

“We’re really excited to see him elevate his game. He showed us last year just he has a tremendous competitive spirit. He knows how to elevate his game at the right time, and, in those critical moments, he is able to make the plays we need him to make for us to win football games. I’m looking forward to seeing him as an established starter going into year two, as a kid who is a lot more comfortable in our system going into year two, a stronger kid going into year two. I think his game can even take another step.

“So I think he deserves to be in that conversation with the best quarterbacks in this league. No disrespect to anyone else’s, but we’ve got a really talented one in Durham for sure.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.