DURHAM, N.C.-- Duke defensive back DeVon Edwards will have season-ending surgery after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee Saturday, coach David Cutcliffe said during a Sunday teleconference. The injury signifies the end of Edwards' collegiate football career.
"We're very saddened for DeVon and his family," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. "He is a great leader. He is absolutely a great player and a great person. He'll have to have an impact like Thomas [Sirk] has. Thomas has been an inspiration for us all -- certainly to the team. Now we have another captain thrust into that role. We are with DeVon every step of the way through this."
Edwards' left leg appeared to buckle as he returned Notre Dame's first kickoff 21 yards. On the first kickoff after Edwards went down, Blue Devils junior running back Shaun Wilson returned the kick 96 yards for a touchdown, the first score of the Blue Devils' 38-35 upset win over the Irish.
A redshirt senior captain, Edwards has earned numerous All-ACC and All-America mentions, as he has six career kickoff return touchdowns, one shy of the ACC record. Edwards also has two career interception returns for touchdowns, and he was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team last week.
Edwards closes his career ranking 17th on Duke's all-time tackle chart while holding school career records for kickoff return average and kickoff returns for touchdowns. His six kickoff returns for scores rank as the third most in NCAA history behind Clemson's C.J. Spiller and Houston's Tyron Carrier, who both had seven.
A native of Covington, Georgia, Edwards ends his 44-game playing career with 327 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 10.5 quarterback sacks, five interceptions, six caused fumbles, 21 pass breakups and eight quarterback pressures. In addition, he returned 74 kickoffs for 2,060 yards for a 27.84 average and six touchdowns.
Duke (2-2) hosts Virginia (1-3) on Saturday.