A career that unfolded in front of our eyes has ended with in a non-serendipitously way. Grayson McCall is hanging up the cleats for a clipboard, following a horrific injury that he, ‘cannot come back from.’
What Happened to Grayson McCall?
McCall made his last start for the NC State Wolfpack in Week 6, the same week he made his return from a previous injury sustained in Week 3 of the 2024 season. It was midway through the game when McCall’s career changed forever.
On a 3rd & 11 play from the Wake Forest 19-yard line, McCall dropped back to pass, saw no one open, and decided to scramble to make something happen in the red zone.
At the 11-yard line, McCall was contacted with a direct hit to the chest by Wake Forest linebacker Quincy Bryant, careening into defenders Nick Anderson and Dylan Hazen. McCall’s helmet popped off, and he immediately lost control of the ball and appeared to be knocked unconscious.
The video is below, for information purposes, but it is not for the squeamish.
Very scary hit on Grayson McCall here. Hoping for good news 🙏🏻
— Jaime Eisner (@JaimeEisner) October 5, 2024
As he laid motionless on the ground, his own teammates forwent attempting to run down the Wake Forest defenders who picked up the loose ball and returned to the NC State 1-yard line, calling for help from the sidelines immediately instead.
McCall was still motionless and even clutching his arm in what has been called the fencing response following an apparent concussion. While we offer no speculation on the matter, the football world has become all too accustomed to this response on the field following hits such as these, leading to what has been assumed to be a concussion sustained by McCall.
The trainers were then shown cutting his jersey off almost immediately after arriving on the field while the backboard was placed on the ground next to him and the cart was immediately called for.
Eventually, his parents were even seen on the field next to him as the trainers worked to stabilize McCall.
After a lengthy break and multiple TV timeouts, McCall was shown loaded onto the cart and being taken off the field. It should be noted, however, that positive signs did occur when McCall motioned a ‘peace sign’ to the crowd and then even shielded his own eyes from the sun that was cascading over the stadium grounds.
It was almost as if McCall knew what was next.
Grayson McCall Medically Retires from Football
Just weeks after the injury, McCall’s future is officially known. It took him some time, time that NC State was willing to give one of the all-time great college quarterbacks.
But after time and introspective, McCall has officially announced his intentions to retire from football. From a post on Instagram, McCall stated his injury was too great to come back from.
“As a young kid I never wanted to watch cartoons or do things that most of the other kids were doing,” the Instagram post stated. “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. As I began to develop and grow, I envisioned this crazy dream for myself to grow up and be just like the guys I was watching on TV.
“From Porter Ridge to Conway and this past year in Raleigh, this journey has been better than any dream I could’ve ever envisioned. This game has taken me places I never thought I would go, and has shaped my family and I in ways I never imagined. I have made so many memories that will stay with me forever, and I am so grateful for that.
“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.”
“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.”
McCall’s Injury History Comes Into Light
As bad as a one-time injury is, for someone like McCall, this latest injury certainly put his future into doubt at the time of the incident as this is not the first head injury he’s sustained during his playing career. And he mentioned so in his retirement post.
Famously, McCall took a hit against Arkansas State in 2023 that knocked him from the game and had to be removed via an ambulance. He missed the completion of his 2022 campaign following a head injury as well.
The broadcast during Week 6’s NC State vs. Wake Forest contest even included the fact that he had sustained a brain bleed following one of his previous concussions.
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McCall mentioned that his coaching career will begin shortly, and it’s clear he’s already put that passion forward with Bailey.
“He teaches me the right way,” Bailey said. “It’s great to have a guy on the team like Grayson.”
No matter what McCall has done in college, he’s made the sport a better place. We have no doubt that he’ll continue that in the future from the sidelines.
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