On how long he's considered giving up football:

"It's always been on my mind. I've been struggling with it the last few years. My grades took a nosedive, and my personal well-being was greatly affected. I wasn't my normal self. I was told to go talk to (a doctor), and it was just like, 'wait a minute. I'm a young guy. I shouldn't be feeling the way I've been feeling.' Ultimately, when I took that break Coach Riley gave me, I looked at the game and realized it isn't for me anymore."

On giving up a potential opportunity to play professionally:

"One thing about me that's different from a lot of people, my whole life didn't revolve around this idea that I have to go pro. Some kids, regardless of their situation, it's, 'I have to go pro. That's my only hope, dream, what I pray to God about.' That's great to have that ambition, but realistically looking at it, 1.4 percent out of 18,000 collegiate football players make it. So for me, I may have the potential, the skill set, the body type, everything they look for, but my heart and my mind wasn't in it."

On who he leaned on most to reach his decision: