'This hurts': Promising Penn State lineman gives up football because of heart condition

Frank Bodani | York Daily Record

Show Caption Hide Caption Sharing smiles, Penn State football brings fun to sick children Penn State football players played games, shared laughs and made new friends at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.

One of the top offensive tackle recruits in the nation has announced that he is giving up football because of a heart condition.

Incoming freshman Nana Asiedu posted on Twitter Wednesday evening that he is suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and will forgo his college football career. The former four-star recruit was ranked as the nation's No. 11 offensive tackle and the No. 3 overall talent in Virginia, according to 247Sports.

More: Penn State players give Hershey hospital kids a football lift

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a "common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, including young athletes," according to the American Heart Association.

The genetic condition occurs when "heart muscle cells enlarge and cause the walls of the ventricles (usually the left ventricle) to thicken. ... (This) thickening may block blood flow out of the ventricle ... which may disrupt the heart's electrical signals and lead to arrhythmias," according to the heart association.

Asiedu was a key member of Penn State's top five recruiting class of 2018.

"This hurts because football was my everything but (God) has other plans for me," Asiedu wrote on Twitter, adding that he expects to keep his scholarship and remain involved in the football program.

"This is one reason why I chose Penn State because of the security and they'll never go back on their word."

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Asiedu is from North Stafford High in Virginia and was teammates with Devyn Ford, one of the nation's top running backs. Ford, a year younger, recently picked Penn State, as well.

Asiedu originally chose the Nittany Lions over offers from schools such as Clemson, Auburn and Georgia.

Though he was expected to redshirt this coming season, Asiedu was considered a major piece in Penn State's continued rebuilding of its offensive line.