South Carolina tight end Kiel Pollard steps away from football

South Carolina tight end Kiel Pollard announced on Friday that he’s retiring from football, apparently after learning that the broken neck he suffered last week makes it unsafe for him to continue playing the sport.

Pollard, a senior who was projected to start for the Gamecocks, had 15 receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns last season.

My favorite moment from him in 2018 was not either of those scores, but rather this catch against Vanderbilt when his helmet popped off. The passionate Pollard fully intended to keep on trucking, but wisely took a knee:

It seems that Kiel is making another good decision for his safety here, and we wish him all the best.