WATCH: Grayson McCall Speaks to the Media After Announcing Retirement (with transcript)

Last week, NC State Redshirt Senior Quarterback Grayson McCall announced his retirement from playing the game of football last week, after suffering another significant concussion. He met with the media yesterday to discuss this difficult decision. You can watch the video ABOVE, and read the transcript BELOW.

Last week you put out the release. How difficult was it to come to terms with that, first of all?

Yeah, I mean, it was extremely difficult. But I mean, at the end of the day, it was something I knew was a possibility.

After everything that happened last year, and then kind of getting re-injured in the LA Tech game. Going into it from that point forward, kind of knew it was a possibility if I didn’t stay healthy, and specifically to another head injury, I knew it was a possibility. But to actually have the conversations, and have to kind of put it into words, and things like that, it was tough.

I knew one day the cleats were going to come off, and the helmet was going to come off. But for it to happen like that, and the way it did, it was just really heartbreaking for me. But luckily for me, I got a lot of great people in my corner that have kind of helped me through this.

So just kind of going through the transition, excited for what’s next.

Have you really educated yourself on concussions? I mean, the potential possible CTE, all the things that can happen with concussions, have you looked into that?

Yeah, absolutely, I think, like I said, when it happened last year, and obviously it was a pretty bad concussion. And it was really eye-opening for me.

And so just kind of taking it as an educational opportunity to learn, and continuing to learn as I’m going throughout this process. But at the end of the day, I wanna have a full life. I want to get married and have kids one day, and I want to be a football coach, and I want to be a great dad one day.

So without a healthy brain, none of those things are possible. So I love the game so much, but it’s come down to things bigger than that.

Were you diagnosed with one after LA Tech, and how many did you have in your career?

Yeah, I think the one last year, I think was four.

So looking at six or seven total, and I think every doctor kind of has their own opinion, but once you get kind of the four to five range, anything after that really isn’t good. I think what I’ve learned from this last one is that the more you continue to get, the chances of a full recovery decrease. So yeah, I think it’s been six now.

I know, obviously, there’s a transition period that you have to have. But with time being a factor, and you wanted to be a coach, how quickly do you have to kind of make that transition to getting into the mindset of learning and trying to learn everything you can from this staff? And having that experience to be able to prepare yourself for a future to be a, whether it’s a high school coach, a college coach, whatever you wanna be.

Yeah, I think it’s rather a quick transition. I think I’m obviously blessed to have a coach like Coach Doeren, and Coach Roper, and his staff here that are kind of letting me get my feet wet now. And kind of serving that role now, and helping CJ (Bailey), and helping the other guys.

And sitting through coaches meetings and things like that just to get my feet wet and see how I like it. And so I’m obviously blessed with the opportunity to be able to do that here, and kind of get things started. So I’m excited to see where it goes.

A follow up, what do you envision then as, I know obviously this is all happening very quickly. But have you thought about about what the game plan is in a way?

I’d like to start on the college level if possible. Obviously played for three different staffs, and have a lot of connections throughout the country involved with college football. So hopefully I get the opportunity, and I can make the best of it.

And we’ll go from there.

You’ve talked about your future, and what you want that to look like. But that doesn’t make the decision any easier. What kind of emotions were you feeling as you were having those conversations?

I think the one positive I can take to this thing is I don’t have any regret. Throughout my whole college career, I’ve laid it on the line every single game, every single play. Obviously for the guys beside me, but just the love that I have for the game.

I think that’s one positive I can take from it, that I don’t have any regrets. Other than that, just kind of a whirlwind of emotions, obviously. Upset and sad and going through all that.

But kind of just disappointed with how my time went here. Obviously, didn’t play to the best of my ability, and that kind of hurts. But I think at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason.

And I believe that even going through this time when that’s hard to believe and see through, but at the end of the day, I am happy that I don’t have any regrets as hard as all this is. And I know I’ll get through it, and there’s a brighter side at the end of this. But just kind of going through all those emotions still right now.

How important has it been to have the space from the coaching staff and from the university to, in such a quick transition, be able to make the space for you to make that decision and then kind of help you along and get started in your career?

Yeah, it’s special. I think it just kind of complements the type of people we have in the building here, and I’m aware that it’s not like that everywhere. So for them to keep me around and give me the ability to sit in on different things and kind of voice my opinion and help out, I mean, it’s really important to me and I’m really grateful for it.

So obviously really thankful for just the opportunity to come here and be the quarterback. And now just the opportunity that they’re giving me to kind of start my coaching career and see where it goes.

Coach, mentioned that you, with the timing of everything, having the off week, having a chance to be with family, it sounded like. How big was that just for, I imagine, the roller coaster the past couple weeks?

Yeah, I mean, it was huge. I mean, obviously, I’m kind of going through this, but there’s a lot of people that are also going through this. Obviously, this journey that I’ve had for so long now has been really special to my family.

And kind of taking us places we never thought we’d go and kind of done things like that. So as hard as it is for me, it was really helpful to go home and just be around family, be around loved ones. And just kind of have a reality check that there’s so much more to life than football.

And being around it kind of 365 days a year for the past 20 years now. It’s going to be a hard adjustment, but being around those people that love me and care about me, it’s special. So I’m grateful that they let me go home to be around family for a week.

But refreshing, I’m glad to be back and help the team get another win this week.

Football is a naturally violent sport. Do you feel like there should be changes based on your experiences, whether it’s players should wear guardian caps or something needs to be changed about this?

I don’t know, man.

I think there needs to be kind of a more distinct targeting rule and things like that. But I mean, we signed up for it, right? Every time you put the helmet on, you go out there and play, there’s a chance you can get hurt. And I think that’s what makes this sport so special.

It’s a violent sport, it’s a tough sport. And if you’re not tough, you can’t play it. So it all starts with a mindset, and I’ve always had that mindset.

And whenever the mindset wavers that you’re scared to get hurt or you’re hesitating out there, it all goes bad. So I think this is a game that we signed up to play. And if you’re not tough, it’s not for you, so.

How much does being in this role now help you kind of make this transition from not playing, to being around the team, to being as a captain?

Yeah, I mean, it definitely helps. It’s what I love to do. It’s something I’ve always done.

And obviously, my role is changing as I’m not on the field. But being the same leader for the teammates, being the quarterback in the room that’s played a lot of games and played a lot of snaps, and can kind of help those guys through it. So I think my leadership role in that space doesn’t change, but it’s just kind of difficult for me to make the transition.

I mean, it all happens so fast. Being out there at practice, I just want to pick the ball up and run around and throw it, so I’m still fighting that. But I’ll get through it, but it’ll just come with time.

Does it help at all that this was so open? People saw your family come down in the field. They know the hit. They’ve seen the replay. Did that help or did it complicate it? Because everyone understands what you went through.

Yeah, I mean, maybe so. I don’t know if it makes it easier, but I think there’s a better understanding that guys were able to see what I went through last year and for it to kind of all happen again.

I mean, it felt like just a big deja vu moment for me. But I mean, I wouldn’t say it makes it any easier. I think it just, people have a better understanding of why I’m making this decision and how scary it was.

I mean, it was really scary for me, but all my teammates and everybody that was right there and saw it happen, it was pretty scary for them. So I mean, for guys to see that happen and to have the courage to strap it back up and go out there to the next play, I mean, it says a lot about the game. It says a lot about the guys we have here.

So yeah, I’ll just kind of leave it at that. I don’t think it made it any easier, but I do think it allowed people to have a better understanding of what happened.

Can you walk us through that process from October 5th when you go to the hospital to when you have to make that decision, or at least make it public? What were those conversations like? When did you have them? When did you sort of make that decision?

Yeah, like I said earlier, I was fully aware of that being a possibility.

When everything happened, and I kind of knew, whenever I woke up in the ambulance and they took me to the hospital, I’d open my eyes and my mom was right beside me and we kind of just both looked at each other at the same time and said, ‘That’s it.’ As much as I love this game and everything it’s done for me, I can’t put myself through that again, I just can’t mentally. And like I talked about my health earlier and my family and all the things I want to do in the future, it’s not worth it at the end of the day. So whenever I woke up and came to the conclusion that was probably it, you just kind of had to build the courage to have those conversations and ultimately write something up and make it public.

But I mean, I kind of knew that it was a reality that could happen.

We’ve heard from Coach Doeren, even all season really, that this guy’s gonna make a great coach when his playing days are over. Even with the way it happened, playing career is over a little bit sooner, what does it mean to have that vote of confidence from him, that you have a bright future in football, even as a coach as well?

Yeah, it’s special.

I really appreciate Coach Doeren and all he’s done for me here. And to have such a prestigious coach like that say positive words like that for me going into a new role is special. But I think if you just watch how I play the game and the passion I have, and the want to help people, I think you can make those assumptions.

But yeah, it means a lot, and I’m obviously really thankful for Coach Doeren.