NC State QB Grayson McCall Retires From Football After Head Injuries

NC State quarterback Grayson McCall announced his retirement from football after a string of head injuries.

McCall, 23, revealed the news in an emotional post via Instagram on Wednesday, October 23, two weeks after he was carted off the field after taking a scary hit in an October 5 game against Wake Forest.

“As a young kid I never wanted to watch cartoons or do things that most of the other kids were doing,” McCall wrote alongside a slideshow of pictures documenting his football career. “As a young kid I wanted to watch football and run around with the ball in my hand. Throughout that time, I developed a deep love and passion for the game. Through God’s work and some pretty good genetics, I found out that I could be better than all the other kids if I just kept working at it.”

McCall, who transferred to NC State in the offseason after five seasons at Coastal Carolina, wrote that he “envisioned this crazy dream for myself to grow up and be just like the guys I was watching on TV.”

“Unfortunately, my dream has been cut just short.“As you all know I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from,” he continued, referring to the October 5 hit. “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.”

Despite admitting it felt like “my whole world is being taken from me,” McCall acknowledged a “sense of contentment.”

“Every time my feet hit the grass, I left every single ounce of myself on that field,” 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 and that is something I can be proud of.”

McCall expressed his thanks to “my family, friends, teammates, fans and all the coaches who have poured into me over the years” before revealing plans for his next chapter. 

“I look forward to taking my passion and love for the game into the coaching space to serve and lead the next group of kids with a dream,” he wrote. 

In addition to the injury sustained earlier this season, McCall was sent to the hospital in October 2023 after sustaining another hit in the head during a game with Coastal Carolina. He did not return to the field for the rest of the season. 

McCall also suffered a concussion during NC State’s game against Louisiana Tech earlier this year, on September 14.