DURHAM, N.C. – Former Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk has agreed to terms with the New York Giants to join the NFL organization as an undrafted free agent.
The Blue Devils' starter for the 2015 season, Sirk played in 24 career games with 12 starts at Duke, completing 261-of-441 (.592) passes for 2,692 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing 210 times for 1,041 yards (4.96) and 16 scores. The Glen St. Mary, Fla., product missed the 2016 campaign while recovering from a partial tear of his left Achilles tendon. Sirk, who missed the contact portion of 2016 spring practice while recovering from surgery performed on February 10, 2016, to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon suffered the day before, also missed the entire 2013 season while recovering from surgery performed on April 10, 2013, to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.
Sirk transferred to East Carolina University for the 2017 season, playing in 11 games and earning seven starts. With the Pirates, Sirk completed 132-of-238 (.555) passes for 1,655 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed 64 times for 165 yards (2.58) and three touchdowns and caught two passes for 21 yards (10.50).
Sirk finished his time at Duke ranking second in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, tied for second in 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback (two), tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns, fifth in winning percentage by a starting quarterback (.667), eighth in yards per rushing attempt and 17th in passing yards.
As Duke's 2015 starting quarterback, Sirk was one of just four quarterbacks among Power 5 schools nationally to lead their respective teams in both rushing (803) and passing (2,625) yardage, joining Seth Collins of Oregon State, Lamar Jackson of Louisville and Dak Prescott of Mississippi State. Sirk was the signal caller for an offensive unit that became the first in school history to average 190 or more rushing yards and 240 or more passing yards per contest.
His final game as a Blue Devil guided Duke to its first bowl victory since January 1, 1961 (Duke 7, Arkansas 6; Cotton Bowl), by completing 17-of-37 (.459) passes for 163 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while rushing 20 times for 155 yards and two scores in a 44-41 OT triumph over Indiana in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. He joined Louisville's Lamar Jackson as the only players nationally to record 150 or more rushing yards and 150 or more passing yards in bowl play during the 2015 campaign. In the win over the Hoosiers, Sirk coupled with kicker Ross Martin for the game-tying TD (5-yard rush) and PAT with 41 seconds remaining in the fourth period to force overtime. The 155-yard ground performance marked the second-highest single-game rushing yardage total by a quarterback in school history, trailing only Mike Dunn's 168-yard effort against Georgia Tech in 1976. Sirk and running back Shaun Wilson were named the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl Co-MVPs.
Sirk's season at East Carolina was highlighted by 426 passing yards at Connecticut, ranking tied for 10th on the Pirates' single-game passing yardage list. He became the seventh quarterback in program history to pass for 400 or more yards in a single game and was named The American Offensive Player of the Week following the performance.
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