Duncan?s Career Ends Following Injury

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke redshirt senior running back and team captain Jela Duncan will miss the remainder of the 2016 season after suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon in Saturday's 38-35 loss at Georgia Tech. The injury signifies the end of Duncan's collegiate football career.

“Certainly we are all heartbroken for Jela and his family,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “His passion, toughness and level of commitment have been exemplary, and everyone in our program has benefited from his presence. As one of six players to rush for two thousand-plus yards in the history of Duke University, Jela's play on the field speaks for itself, but what he has meant to our program off the field is also extremely relevant. He's a special young man who, with our support, I know will attack this next challenge.”

Surgery to repair the tendon is scheduled for Monday and the procedure will be performed by Dr. Annunziato Amendola of the Duke Sports Science Institute.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Duncan ends his 43-game career having rushed 377 times for 2,025 yards and 17 touchdowns, caught 48 passes for 334 yards and one score and returned nine kickoffs for 147 yards. On Duke's all-time charts, he ranks sixth in rushing yards, sixth in rushing yards per attempt (5.37) and tied for 14th in rushing touchdowns. Duncan, who joins Duke's all-time leading rusher Chris Douglas as the only two players in school history to rush for 450-plus yards in four seasons, is one of just three players in Blue Devil history to register three-plus rushing touchdowns in four campaigns, joining Tom Davis (1941-42-43-44) and George Clark (1944-45-46-47).

In 2016, Duncan appeared in seven games, leading the Blue Devils in both rushing yards (450) and rushing touchdowns (6). He closes his career with four 100-yard rushing games, against North Carolina in 2015 (115), Indiana in 2015 (109), N.C. Central in 2016 (115) and Notre Dame in 2016 (121).

Duncan becomes the third Duke captain to suffer a season-ending injury this season, joining redshirt senior quarterback Thomas Sirk (Achilles) and redshirt senior safety DeVon Edwards (knee).

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