Duke starting cornerback Bryon Fields will miss the 2015 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee during Tuesday's practice. "The cruelest element of college football -- and for all of college athletics -- is injury, and we certainly feel heartbreak at this time for Bryon and his family," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said in a news release. "We know Bryon is in great hands with our medical staff, and I have all the confidence in the world in Bryon's dedication and perseverance to overcome this obstacle. The challenge for a football team to lose a player with Bryon's ability and experience is significant, but it's one we'll embrace." A 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior, Fields has played in all 27 games in his Blue Devils career, starting 14. The native of Charlotte, North Carolina, has 112 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery and 8 pass breakups. It is the latest significant injury this offseason for Duke, which also has lost sixth-year linebacker Kelby Brown, who suffered his fourth ACL tear, and redshirt junior running back Jela Duncan, who suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle. Two other running backs are nursing lower-body injuries. The Blue Devils open Sept. 3 at Tulane.
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