MACON, Ga.- Former Mercer men’s basketball standout Wesley Duke has been released by the Denver Broncos after suffering a knee injury last Tuesday, the first day of team camp.
Duke, who was signed as a free agent last year, began the season on Denver’s inactive roster then moved to the practice squad and was eventually signed to the active roster on Nov. 15. The native of Norcross first saw action on a kickoff vs. the New York Jets and saw extended playing time at Buffalo Dec. 17, catching his first reception, going for a one-yard touchdown grab. Duke was one of two players on the team whose first professional touch resulted in a touchdown. He recorded a career-high 21-yard reception in the regular-season finale at San Diego on New Year’s Eve.
In the AFC playoffs, he saw action on special teams, helping hand the Patriots their first postseason loss in 11 games. He made his first professional start in his second career postseason game, but did not record any stats in the AFC championship game vs. Pittsburgh Jan. 22.
During the off season, the 6-foot-5 tight end competed with the Hamburg (Germany) Sea Devils of the NFL Europe League, recording nine catches for 89 yards and scoring a touchdown.
At Mercer, Duke averaged 9.8 ppg. and 5.9 rpg in 116 career games (102 starts) while totaling 173 blocks and 104 steals. As a senior, he ranked fifth in the Atlantic Sun in rebounding average (7.2 rpg.), posted a team-high 40 blocks and averaged 11.5 ppg. Duke finished in fourth place in the nationally televised slam dunk contest held in conjunction with the 2005 NCAA Final Four.
Click below for the Denver Post article on Wesley Duke:
www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_3897646
