WVU Linebacker hangs up the cleats, retires from football

Morgantown, WV – News broke today that West Virginia redshirt junior linebacker Brendan Ferns has officially retired from football.

Ferns took to Twitter to announce his decision.

Thanks for the memories Mountain Nation! pic.twitter.com/FS7MnmjvV4

— Brendan Ferns (@Brendan_Ferns) March 27, 2019

Coming out of St. Clairsville HS in Ohio, Ferns was one of the Ohio Valley’s most sought after recruit in years. He had offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Michigan and many others. Ultimately, he chose the Mountaineers to have an opportunity to play with his older brother Michael, and to play for the team he grew up cheering for.

Unfortunately, things just never seemed to work out for Ferns. It’s not that he didn’t have the talent or the capability to be a solid linebacker, injuries just continued to be in his way. Here’s a timeline of his injuries while at WVU:

2016- Torn left ACL

2017- Shoulder surgery

2018- Torn left ACL

It might be best for Ferns to focus on his health and his degree. Football only lasts for so long, life after football is much more important.