UConn starting quarterback Casey Cochran has decided to end his football career because of multiple concussions.
Cochran, a sophomore from Monroe, suffered a concussion in the first game of the season. It was his third concussion at UConn. Cochran and his family met with UConn's medical and coaching staff late last week and after that meeting, decided to call it quits.
It's not known what university medical staff told Cochran and his family about his condition, but at a press conference, Cochran's father said he knew going into the season that another concussion would end his son's career.
Dr. Matthew Hall, director of the UConn Sports Concussion Program, said each concussion and each person's tolerance to multiple concussions is unique. "They are sometimes referred to as snowflakes," he said. "No one concussion is the same. It differs from person to person. It differs from concussion to concussion. It can differ based off of the mechanism, or how the concussion was sustained. There really is so much variability."
UConn head Football coach Bob Diaco said that although Cochran will no longer play, he will still play a big part in the football program. "It sounds like he is excited to learn how to be a coach, so we can immediately get started with his development in that area, give him a few jobs and a few roles," he said.
According to Diaco, Cochran will be able to keep his scholarship. Backup quarterback Chandler Whitmer has been moved to the starting spot, and Tim Boyd has been named Whitmer's backup.
