When quarterback Thomas Sirk tore his left Achilles tendon in February, nobody could have expected him to be back on the field for the first day of fall practice less than six months later.
But Sirk defied conventional wisdom, participating on a limited basis Monday evening when the Blue Devils opened fall camp. The redshirt senior went through every quarterback drill, including seven-on-seven drills and other passing drills with receivers and defensive backs, but was held out of live action.
Head coach David Cutcliffe and team doctor Hap Zarzour limited his time practicing with the whole team, but Sirk's repetitions Monday represented the next step in a remarkable recovery from a second Achilles injury.
"We’re going to put him on a little bit like a pitch count, not just on throws but just on how much we fatigue him," Cutcliffe said. "I met with [offensive coordinator] Zac Roper this morning and Hap, and we’ve got a good plan in that regard. What we’ll do is just day-to-day, see how he progresses."
After missing the entire 2013 season with a torn right Achilles tendon, Sirk made an even faster recovery the second time around.
Cutcliffe cited Sirk's positive attitude from the beginning of the rehab process as one of the reasons the Glen St. Mary, Fla., native was able to get back on the field so soon.
"I didn’t celebrate the injury, but when Thomas Sirk tore his Achilles, I went in that training room, and I have been inspired more as a person since that day," Cutcliffe said. "I thought I was going to see a totally crumbled youngster. I saw a determined young man with a great spirit and a great attitude, and I walked out of that training room just blown away. I celebrate that every day."
Sirk was not able to participate in spring camp after his injury, allowing redshirt junior Parker Boehme and redshirt freshmen Daniel Jones and Quentin Harris to take more snaps.
But the injured starter was still on the sidelines with the team every day, encouraging and giving advice to his teammates. Sirk will play a similar role in fall practices when he steps aside for many of the team drills.
"Even if he doesn’t do as much in camp, I feel like he is smart with himself and his body to know when to go full go and when to kind of hold himself back," redshirt senior wide receiver Anthony Nash said. "He’s positive, he works with us, he’s with the quarterbacks encouraging them to make great throws, make great reads, and I think when he comes back, he’ll be ready."
If Sirk returns for the season opener against N.C. Central Sept. 3, he will attempt to build on a successful 2015 campaign in which he led Duke to an 8-5 record and a milestone bowl win. Sirk racked up 2,625 passing yards and 16 touchdowns last season and was also the Blue Devils' leading rusher with 803 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
It was not all good news for Duke Monday, however.
Freshman wide receiver Scott Bracey—a four-star wide receiver coming out of high school and the Blue Devils' highest-ranked recruit—tweaked his hamstring in the middle of practice and will likely be held out of practice Tuesday, Cutcliffe said. The rest is precautionary so that the injury does not become a lingering concern.
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