Adrian Coxson, 24, Retiring From NFL After Suffering Severe Concussion
Adrian Coxson, 24, is retiring from the NFL after suffering a severe concussion.
The former Green Bay Packers wide receiver said he is still experiencing symptoms from the injury he sustained on the third day of training camp, and he fears for his health. Coxson says he is obviously disappointed and hopes to eventually return to himself. However, his neurologists have urged him to retire from the game, saying the next hit to the head could be life threatening.
“I’m retiring because I’m still having symptoms and my health is more important to me than the game of football,” Coxson said in a telephone interview with the National Football Post. “It’s been recommended to me by two neurologists and two doctors to retire from football. The next hit to my head could possibly kill me or be life damaging. This last one could be life damaging. It has taken a great toll on me. This concussion was a bad one. A Grade 3 concussion is real serious.”
Rookie wide receiver, cut by Packers, retires due to concussion worries following big hit http://t.co/Rutz1ss6mR pic.twitter.com/o6TVFkVZs1
— HuffPost Sports (@HuffPostSports) September 8, 2015
“It’s definitely tough,” he added. “I worked hard all my life and I felt I was achieving my life-long goal. Unfortunately, I got hit in the head in practice and it was really bad for me. I couldn’t describe how bad it is. I’m blessed to have my life right now. I’ll see how things work out as far as my health, but my health isn’t in tip-top shape right now because of the concussion.”
NFL WR Adrian Coxson retires at 24, says “next hit could kill me or be life damaging”: http://t.co/6R5XXZKW5F pic.twitter.com/CUk1MnzIcr
— Complex Sports (@Complex_Sports) September 7, 2015
Coxson signed with the Packers earlier this year, a three-year deal that included a $5,000 signing bonus. as an undrafted free agent out of FCS Stony Brook (N.Y.) University. He was cut with a “failure to disclose physical condition” designation, Sporting News reports. Before transferring, he previously went to the University of Florida and Maryland. Coxson graduated college with a degree in business and African-American studies.
Coxson said he is going to take this time to focus on getting well, and being the best father he can be to his son Adrian Jr..
“I take pride in that, I take pride in being able to function right now from this injury,” Coxson said. “I’m concerned about my health and I’m concerned about how healthy I am and I want to get to as close to 100 percent as I can get. I’m concerned about the outcome of this whole injury. It was a bad one.”
[Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images]
