NC State QB Grayson McCall retiring from football three weeks after helmet-jarring hit

N.C. State quarterback Grayson McCall has medically retired from football, the graduate transfer announced on Instagram Wednesday night.

A transfer from Coastal Carolina, where a concussion cut short his 2023 season, McCall suffered two concussions this season. The first took place on Sept. 14 against Louisiana Tech. He missed two games. He returned on Oct. 5 against Wake Forest but was carted off the field after a hit left him helmetless and briefly unconscious.

“From Porter Ridge to Conway and this past year in Raleigh, this journey has been better than any dream I could’ve ever envisioned,” McCall said in a statement. “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 of 8:48 p.m. on Wednesday, McCall’s announcement had nearly 500 comments in support. Wolfpack tight end Justin Joly said, “Love you Gray. Know that (for real).”

McCall will remain active on the team, a university spokesperson said. He will continue to attend practices, meetings and travel.

McCall, serving as a ball carrier, was hit on the Wolfpack’s first offensive drive of the game against the Demon Deacons. Head coach Dave Doeren said on Oct. 7 that McCall thought about sliding on the play but did not.

The quarterback lost his helmet and mouth guard due to the force of impact. Then, his head made contact with Wake Forest linebacker Quincy Bryant — he was officially charged with the tackle — and two other Demon Deacons defenders.

Doeren did not originally rule McCall out in his Oct. 7 update, saying he supported McCall, his family and the medical staff as it continued evaluations. He said it was only fair for them to perform additional testing. The head coach added, however, he was not opposed to ruling a player out due to safety risks but deferred to medical professionals, the player and the player’s family first.

“I have no problem making that call, but I’m going to start with them. That’s the right way to do it,” Doeren said. “I have three sons, and I would want them to be treated the same way that I’’m going to treat these guys. If that’s where we’re at, that’s where we’ll be. … But, the steps are not head coach first. It’s medical team first, family and then bring the head coach in.”

Last fall, McCall’s season at Coastal Carolina ended because of a similar injury. He made helmet-to-helmet contact with an Arkansas State defender and landed on the ground. Medical professionals took him to a local hospital and he was diagnosed with a concussion. Due to the NCAA’s concussion protocol, McCall did not play the rest of the season.

The NCAA’s concussion protocol checklist gives doctors authority to approve or deny clearance for activities but specifies the need for a multi-disciplinary team in cases of severe injuries like McCall’s.

Additionally, more severe injuries require the evaluation of a player’s spine, balance, memory, vomiting, skull deformities, changes in vitals when the player stands up, and ocular dysfunction on a regular basis. This is not an exhaustive list of requirements.

The NCAA requires the completion of a “step-wise progression” plan, implemented by a doctor specializing in concussions, before a student-athlete returns to sport-related activities. Unrestricted athletic activities should not take place before unrestricted learning activities.

In his six year career, McCall leaves the sport as a highly-decorated quarterback. He is the only player to earn Sun Belt Player of the Year three times, which he achieved at Coastal Carolina. He left the Chanticleers program as the school record holder with 106 total touchdowns responsible, 88 touchdown passes, and 10,005 passing yards.

McCall recorded 518 passing yards and three touchdowns in his four games at N.C. State.

In his career, the North Carolina native finished with 11,653 yards of total offense, 91 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns.

McCall, though he will not play anymore, said he plans to become a football coach.

“I look forward,” McCall wrote, “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.”