Joshua Perry is hanging up his cleats.
The former Ohio State linebacker announced his decision to retire from football in a Twitter post on Monday, citing concerns over head injuries after recently suffering his sixth documented concussion.
A note regarding my RETIREMENT: pic.twitter.com/dUk3MFYYZt
— Joshua E Perry (@RIP_JEP) July 30, 2018
"Effective immediately, I am officially retiring from professional football," Perry wrote. "Football has been one of the biggest blessings of my life, but recent concerns about concussions and the health of my brain have led me to step away from the game.
"I've recently sustained my 6th documented concussion. It wasn't from a high velocity, big contact play. It was a very pedestrian thing, and that was a huge concern to me. The last thing I want to do is put the health of my brain and my future wellbeing in jeopardy over a game and a paycheck."
Perry went on to express gratitude to Ohio State, where he played from 2012 to 2015, for the doors that have opened for him as a result of playing football for the Buckeyes. Perry also thanked the three NFL teams he spent time with – the Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts and most recently, the Seattle Seahawks – for giving him opportunities to play professionally.
Perry said he plans to continue living in Central Ohio and pursue his real estate license to work in that field, while he also plans to get involved in sports media and continue building his charitable organization, the Joshua Perry Family Foundation.
