North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall is leaving football due to repeated significant injuries and concussions. McCall made the announcement Wednesday night via his Instagram account.
“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. 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,” he wrote as part of a lengthy message that detailed his football life going all the way back to Pop Warner. McCall suffered multiple concussions this season.
NC State’s Hopes
McCall was the transfer portal this year for the Wolfpack and head coach Dave Doeren. Last year Doeren put the bank on Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong. But he missed much of the year with injuries. That led them to go to back M.J. Morris, who subsequently shut down his season after four games to save the eligibility year and transfer. Morris is now the third string quarterback at Maryland.
McCall, Coastal, and NC State
McCall was at Coastal Carolina for five years. He redshirted in 2019 after [playing in two games. McCall only played in seven games in 2023 due to various injuries.
He had more than 10,000 passing yards in his time at Coastal. McCall also had 88 touchdowns against just 14 interceptions. He was the three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year.
In his time at NC State in 2024, he started just four games and was only able to finish two of them. He left the Louisiana Tech game with what was later diagnosed as a concussion. Three weeks later Doeren said the doctors had cleared McCall through concussion protocols and he started against Wake Forest. On a quarterback run, his helmet came off when he was hit in the shoulders, and his head slammed to the ground. He had to be carted off the field and taken to a local hospital for observation. He has not played since.
What’s Next?
McCall concluded his written statement by saying, “As I feel like my whole world is being taken from me, I feel some sense of contentment. Every time my feet hit the grass, I left every single ounce of myself on that field. 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. I want to use this time to show my appreciation to everyone who has been along for the ride. To my family, friends, teammates, fans, and all the coaches who have poured into me over the years, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you all, none of this would have ever been possible.
“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. Thank you.”
Freshman CJ Bailey has been the starting quarterback for NC State in McCall’s absence.
