An injury-plagued redshirt junior season will turn out to be the last for Austin Valdez at Bowling Green.
Late Thursday evening, Valdez took to his personal Twitter account to reveal that he planned to leave the Bowling Green football team and finish his collegiate playing career elsewhere. A couple of hours later, the football program released a statement confirming that the linebacker has asked for and been granted a release from his scholarship.
“He plans to graduate and seek a graduate transfer opportunity. We wish him well,” the statement concluded.
As a graduate transfer, he’ll be eligible to play immediately at another FBS school if he so desires. The 2017 season will be his final year of eligibility.Thank you for everything BG. pic.twitter.com/v2T85fPtmE
— Austin Valdez (@AValdez01) March 2, 2017
Valdez started all 14 games in 2015, leading the team in tackles with 144 and tying for the team lead with 11 tackles for loss. Coming off that performance, he was named first-team All-MAC.
Slowed by nagging injuries the following season, he started eight of the 10 games in which he played in 2016. His 58 tackles were second on the Falcons.