DURHAM, N.C. – Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe announced that rising redshirt senior quarterback Thomas Sirk suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon on Tuesday morning during a team conditioning session.  Sirk is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday morning.

 

The surgical procedure will be performed by Dr. Claude T. Moorman III, Duke’s head team physician and the executive director of the Duke Sports Science Institute.

 

No timetable has been set for Sirk’s return.  Sirk missed the 2013 campaign after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon in April of that year.

 

A 6-4, 220-pound native of Glen St. Mary, Fla., Sirk started 12 games in 2015 and completed 251-of-427 (.588) passes for 2,625 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for a  team-best 803 yards and eight scores on 163 attempts.  Sirk’s 3,428 total offensive yards rank as the second highest single-season total in school history, trailing only Anthony Dilweg’s 3,713 yards in 1988.

 

In the ACC, Sirk finished the season ranking third in total offensive yards per game (285.7), fifth in passing yards per game (218.8) and 10th in rushing yards per game (66.9).  In addition, he guided an offense that was one of just three units in the league to rank among the conference’s top five in scoring offense, total offense, rushing offense and passing offense, joining Clemson and North Carolina.

 

Sirk guided Duke to a 44-41 overtime win over Indiana in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl by compiling 318 yards of total offense while rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for a third score and was named the game’s co-MVP along with running back Shaun Wilson.

 

Duke opens the 2016 season at home against N.C. Central on September 3.  Season tickets may be purchased by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 919-681-BLUE or online at GoDuke.com/FootballTix.