Just days before the Duke Football team wraps up its Spring practice session with its annual Spring Football game, the Blue Devils are getting bad news.
Duke backup-quarterback Thomas Sirk suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Redshirt and projected second-string quarterback Thomas Sirk suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg. According to Duke Sports Information, Sirk underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon just hours after suffering the injuring during a Wednesday morning practice.
The surgery was performed by Duke team surgeron Claude T. Moorman III. Moorman is already off to a quick start after having to performance numerous surgeries last season for the football program.
Sirk’s injury has to complicate the long-term season plans for the team as he was projected to be the Blue Devil’s number two quarterback behind junior Anthony Boone.
Boone, who served as Sean Renfree’s backup last season and started one game and came in relief twice when Renfree went down with injury will have to play with no real seasoned quarterback behind him. And it wasn’t that Sirk, who was redshirted last season as a true freshman had any game experience, but the replacements are limited.
Junior Brandon Connette has essentially moved away from the quarterback position as of last season when he spent most of the time at H-back or tightend but the injury to Sirk could lead Connette to be moved back. There is also the possibility that true freshman Parker Boehme could end up being forced into to duty
Boehme, much like Sirk was touted as an athletic running quarterback who could throw it but both are less traditional pro-style quarterbacks. In fact Duke really has no pro-style pocket passer remaining on the roster that is expected to play.
At this point no time table for a return has been announced but it is doubtful that Sirk will be able to make it back for the 2013 season meaning Duke will have to get creative at quarterback and hope that Boone can carry the load and stay healthy, but when you have an offense and a quarterback that likes to run and move out of the pocket anything could happen.
Follow us on Twitter @DukeBlogMKline and visit our Facebook page-Duke Sports Blog. Got question? E-mail us at dukesportsblogmkline@gmail.com
