Monday was one of the busiest days in recent memory for the Wisconsin football program. Former Badgers Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell entered the transfer portal, Leon Lowrey walked back on his commitment , and to top it all off, tight end Jack Pugh has announced he will be medically retiring from football to focus on his mental health.
Pugh took to social media to make the news public.
“I made a decision before the football season to medically retire, that I haven’t yet formally announced. My physical health was not near perfect but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up.”
Wisconsin Football TE Jack Pugh Medically Retires From Football
Pugh, a redshirt sophomore, had begun to show some flashes during spring camp and was reportedly one of the camp’s top performers. Before the season started, Clay Cundiff and Jake Eschenbach announced that they would step away from football, leading some to believe that Pugh could see some extended run. It seemed that the Ohio native was buried in the depth chart, but his announcement provides further clarity.
Coming out of high school, Pugh was a three-star prospect, the No. 11 ranked tight end in the 2021 class, and the No. 10 prospect in Ohio. Pugh would redshirt in his first year with the program before making his debut in the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe in 2022.
Pugh showed lots of bravery coming forward and giving some a glimpse into what he has been through. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and taking the steps to make sure you’re in the right headspace is much more important than football.
Best of luck to Jack Pugh going forward, and I hope he gets the help and support he needs and deserves.
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