Two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year medically retires after terrifying concusion
Grayson McCall, the former quarterback for North Carolina State and Coastal Carolina, announced his retirement from football on Wednesday following a head injury he sustained in a game earlier this month. The 23-year-old was taken off the field on a cart during the first quarter of N.C. State's October 5 match against Wake Forest. While […]
Grayson McCall, the former quarterback for North Carolina State and Coastal Carolina, announced his retirement from football on Wednesday following a head injury he sustained in a game earlier this month.
The 23-year-old was taken off the field on a cart during the first quarter of N.C. State's October 5 match against Wake Forest. While scrambling, he was hit by two defenders, resulting in his helmet coming off and him losing control of the ball. He remained on the ground as a defender returned the fumble nearly the entire field length.
"I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from," McCall wrote in a post on his Instagram.
"Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up," McCall continued. "I have done everything I can to continue, but this is where the good Lord has called me to serve in a different space."
McCall suffered his second concussion in October, having already missed two games in September due to an injury from a September 14 matchup against Louisiana Tech.
This incident marked at least the third concussion of McCall's college career. His 2023 season with Coastal Carolina ended prematurely last October after he sustained a head injury. While attempting to slide during a scramble against Arkansas State, a defender hit him helmet-to-helmet, leaving him motionless on the field.
During his time at Coastal Carolina, McCall achieved recognition as a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year. Over his college career, he amassed over 10,000 passing yards and threw 91 touchdowns in 46 games spanning six seasons.
"Unfortunately, my dream has been cut just short," he said. "I always played my hardest and to the best of my ability because I never knew what play would be my last. I have no regrets throughout my career."
Once considered a mid-round NFL draft prospect, McCall walks away with a tremendous career under his belt. He led the nation in passing yards in 2020, touchdowns in 2020 and 2021, and completion rate in 2021 and 2022. He threw for 10,523 yards, 91 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
