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Every weekend of football is filled with cringe-inducing moments highlighting the danger of the inherently violent sport, and we’ve been treated to yet another sobering reminder of that reality after NC State quarterback Grayson McCall announced his decision to retire in the middle of his final season.
I don’t think anybody seriously expected Tua Tagovailoa to call it quits after he landed on injured reserve earlier this season following yet another concussion, but the quarterback is just one of many football players who’ve found themselves forced to do some serious soul-searching after multiple bouts of head trauma.
That includes Grayson McCall, the QB who initially made a name for himself at Coastal Carolina and earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors three seasons in a row during his time as a member of the Chanticleers.
McCall’s 2023 campaign was cut short when he suffered a season-ending concussion against Arkansas State in October, and he decided to join the NC State Wolfpack as a graduate transfer prior to the 2024 season that marked his final year of eligibility.
McCall started the first three games of the season but fell victim to yet another concussion against Louisiana Tech that forced him to miss two games. He made his grand return against Wake Forest at the start of October, but that game was marred by the alarming play where he had his helmet knocked off while scrambling before he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
NC State QB Grayson McCall was just stretchered off after suffering a brutal hit vs. Wake Forest.
Prayers up 🙏 pic.twitter.com/HdpNZFt9QU
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) October 5, 2024
That marked McCall’s third concussion in less than a year, and on Wednesday night, he revealed his decision to permanently hang up his cleats in a lengthy and emotional Instagram post where he formally announced his retirement, saying in part:
As you all know I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from. I have done everything I can to continue, but this is where the good Lord has called me to serve in a different space. Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up.
McCall added he hopes to turn his attention to coaching now that his playing career has come to an end, and here’s to hoping that works out for him.