MORGANTOWN — West Virginia linebacker Brendan Ferns announced his retirement from football on social media Wednesday.
A multitude of injuries limited Ferns to playing in just eight games over his three seasons as a Mountaineer. He will complete his studies on a medical scholarship.
“These past three years at WVU were not how I envisioned them,” Ferns wrote in his post. “Eventually, every athlete will have to hang it up, but some do sooner than others. Unfortunately, this is the end, but I wouldn’t change anything about my three years here at WVU. The past couple years here at WVU taught me valuable lessons I will take with me and cherish the rest of my life. Finally, I want to thank mountaineer nation for welcoming me into your family and making my experience one to remember.”
Ferns concluded his post with a quote from writer C.S. Lewis: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
Ferns, a native of St. Clairsville, Ohio, was a four-star prospect who was one of the highest-rated recruits in West Virginia history, choosing the Mountaineers over the likes of Michigan, Penn State and Alabama. Unfortunately for Ferns, his body never allowed him to live up to that hype once he arrived in college.
Ferns redshirted his freshman season due to a preseason knee injury. In 2017, he played only four games before a shoulder injury shelved him for the year. Last year, Ferns missed the first eight games after another knee injury in spring practice.
He was expected to be part of this year’s team, participating in offseason workouts. Inside linebackers coach Blake Seiler noted that Ferns was named the team’s “warrior of the week” during the first week of conditioning.
However, Ferns was never seen during West Virginia’s three spring practices that were open to the media. Coach Neal Brown noted that Ferns had not been medically cleared when asked about the linebacker’s status last week.
