Graduate student quarterback Grayson McCall announced his retirement in an Instagram post Wednesday night.
The announcement came after McCall suffered a concussion in a head-on collision on the field during the Oct. 5 game between North Carolina State and Wake Forest.
“Unfortunately, my dream came to a tragic end,” McCall wrote. “As you all know, I have battled injuries throughout my career, but this is an injury of no return.”
North Carolina Athletics told The Technician that McCall plans to remain with the team and participate in practices and other team activities.
McCall has a history of concussions, one of which caused a brain bleed. He suffered a concussion in October 2023 while playing for Coastal Carolina, which doctors later diagnosed as a traumatic brain injury, cutting his season short. McCall entered the transfer portal in December 2023 and announced his transfer to North Carolina State two weeks later.
“This past year from Porter Ridge to Conway to Raleigh has been better than any dream I could have ever dreamed,” McCall wrote. “This game has taken me to places I never thought I would go and shaped my family and me in ways I never imagined. It has created so many memories that will last forever. , I really appreciate it.”
McCall suffered an undisclosed injury early in the season against Louisiana Tech on September 14, two weeks before suffering a concussion against Wake Forest.
The graduate signal-caller had a stellar collegiate career, becoming the only player to win the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year award three times from 2020-2022. As a redshirt freshman, he led Coastal Carolina to No. 12 in the Associated Press poll. As a sophomore, McCall set the single-season record for passer efficiency rating in FBS history.
“I feel like my whole world is being taken away from me, but I also feel a kind of satisfaction. Every time my feet hit the grass, I left everything about me on that field. I always played my best,” McCall wrote. I had no idea how my final play would turn out, so I played to the best of my ability. ”
McCall said he plans to continue participating in soccer by becoming a coach in the future.
“I look forward to bringing my passion and love for the game to the coaching field to serve and guide the next group of kids with dreams,” McCall wrote.
