Clemson DE college career likely over

TigerNet Staff by

Defensive end Richard Yeargin has decided to step away from playing football, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney told TigerNet after practice Thursday.

Swinney said that Yeargin approached him on Wednesday.

"He actually came over to my house last night and told me he kind of wants to hit the pause button on football," Swinney told TigerNet. "He got a good report from the doctor the day, but he told me he wants to maybe be a student coach and see where that takes him.

"He has had a lot of adversity since he has been here. Not everybody can come back from that kind of injury and having to wear a neck brace. But he had overcome all of that. He has two years remaining, but right now he is going to hang up the cleats and I support that."

The graduate student was set to have two years of eligibility with Clemson left due to new NCAA rules, after missing last season due to a neck injury sustained in a car accident.

The University School (Fla.) product logged 29 tackles - five for loss - with 1.5 sacks and five quarterback pressures over 336 snaps in two seasons at Clemson.

He was listed as fifth on the depth chart out of spring behind returning All-American defensive end Clelin Ferrell.

The former four-star prospect, who is originally from South Carolina, committed on signing day for Clemson in 2014. He was a first-team All-American and All-State as a senior with 85 tackles - 21.5 for loss - and 15 sacks.