Just a little over a year into it, AJ Long has seen his playing career come to an abrupt end.
Already sidelined for the season because of an Achilles injury, Long, Syracuse has confirmed, will be forced to retire from the sport of football due to what’s described as multiple concussions. The Syracuse Post-Standard, which noted that the quarterback never had a concussion reported previously, wrote "[t]eam physician Dr. James Tucker reviewed Long’s concussion history and ruled that he cannot participate in football or any other contact sport at Syracuse.”
Thank you #CuseNation these past 2-3 years have been incredible!! I'm looking forward to what else… https://t.co/I7GVNQuB18
— Aj Long (@_QB01) October 12, 2015
“We appreciate AJ’s hard work and the contributions he’s made to our program,” said head coach Scott Shafer in a statement. “I look forward to watching him continue to grow both as a student and as a young man. I wish him the best.”
Long started five games as a true freshman last season. He started the 2015 opener before sustaining the season-ending injury.