We have some pretty wild news coming out of Wisconsin.
Jack Pugh, who is a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers, has announced his retirement from the sport of football.
After only making one appearance last season, Pugh didn’t see any action in the 2023 campaign, and now we know why that was the case: He’s been struggling at a great scale, and no, I’m not talking about anything related to the gridiron.
On Instagram, the redshirt sophomore said that he’s been battling suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and “prolonged depression” for quite sometime now. (RELATED: This Dude Really Is Based: Aaron Rodgers Speaks The Absolute Truth About Florida State Getting Royally Screwed)
“To whom it may concern, I made a decision before the football season to medically retire, that I haven’t yet formally announced. My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up. Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness,” posted Pugh.
“In no way was football the root of these problems, but everything in my life had distracted me for so long to the point I didnt [sic] want to be alive for years. I never had prioritized my mental health all along, digging a deeper darker hole.”
Here’s Pugh’s post in its entirety:
View this post on Instagram
Sad stuff, man.
Now that I know more about mental health and brain damage in 2023, I’m totally a big believer in prioritizing your mental health, so I get that Jack Pugh has gotta do what he’s gotta do. I just hope he doesn’t regret giving up a football career in the future, but as long as he’s happy, it’s all good.
Best of luck, Jack.