Seth Jacobs Releases Statement to Announce Retirement from Football

Seth Jacobs put the speculation about his retirement from football to rest on Tuesday morning, releasing a statement that he will no longer be a student-athlete for Oklahoma State.

Since it’s a long quote, I have transcribed it below. His official quote on his facebook and twitter are linked below the quote.

“I have decided to leave the game and not return for my fifth year,” Jacobs posted on twitter. I have had a wonderful learning experience while living in Stillwater and am forever grateful for the opportunity. I am beginning to value my body, health, and well being more than extending my career. Therefore, I will not be playing my last year of eligibility and will pursue a career outside of football.

“I am writing to remain transparent to everybody who wants to know. Forgive me if it comes off as longwinded. I want to try and answer all of the questions on how I made the decision.”

“Through the years, I have been a regular in the training room. From my redshirt year with my broken foot to now, I am consistently in the training room. I doubt that I have not been away from the training room any longer than two or three weeks.

“The injuries that have caused the most pain these past two seasons were my AC separations and spinal stenosis. I  sustained my AC separation the first play against West Virginia in 2014. I played with that injury through the rest of  the season. After the season, I tried to rehab it, but it was still bothering me. Spring of 2015 I had my collarbone shaved down to try and help with the clicking in my shoulder. It got to a point before the season where it was manageable, but with the wear and tear of the season, it was bothering me again. I’m sure with rest, rehab, and strengthening it could be manageable. My shoulder is not the main factor in my decision for stepping away; it is my neck.

“My neck has been a problem for me since my sophomore year of high school. If I get hit just right or jarred in the wrong way, I get numbness and shooting pains that go through my arms. When I was younger it didn’t happen to me nearly as much. This last season it was not uncommon for me to get a stinger any day I made contact with my head. With that being said, playing football does not take precedence over the quality of life I want to live.

“I love football and I would never discourage anyone from playing it. I have played this game since I was 8 years old and enjoyed every phase, I know that it is time for me to step away. Thank you Cowboy family for this wonderful experience. I created lifetime friends through this experience and was proud to represent orange and black throughout the years.

Go Pokes,

Seth Jacobs

https://twitter.com/s_jacobs10/status/684417859770949632

Here’s what the head ball coach had to say about Jacobs on his twitter:

We wish @s_jacobs10 the best as he moves into the next step of his life. His intelligence & toughness made him a valuable member of our team

— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) January 5, 2016

We thank him for everything he did for #okstate. Seth went about it the right way.

— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) January 5, 2016

We're proud of him for earning his degree. He'll be a success at anything he pursues. #okstate

— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) January 5, 2016