Grayson McCall Lance King/Getty Images
North Carolina State University quarterback Grayson McCall suffered a harrowing head injury during the team’s Saturday, October 5, game against Wake Forest University.
McCall, 23, was running with the ball when he was tackled by several opponents, who were subsequently able to pick up the pigskin and continue the play. McCall, meanwhile, was knocked to the ground and struggled to get up. In social media footage, it appears as if McCall’s helmet was knocked off before the tackle.
The college athlete was lifted onto a stretcher, where additional footage showed McCall briefly moving his arm. He also was seen hugging his parents before being carried off the field. Further updates about McCall’s condition have not been shared.
McCall has suffered several head injuries, including concussions, throughout his collegiate career.
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“I love this game so much and quite literally put my body on the line to win football games, but at the end of the day, it’s a game and there’s more to life than playing football,” McCall previously told ESPN at the start of the season.
McCall transferred to NC State in December 2023 after five years at Coastal Carolina University. Months earlier in October 2023, he suffered a nearly career-ending head injury during a game against Arkansas State.
“When I really acknowledged myself, we were going to the hospital,” McCall recalled to ESPN last month. “It was a scary time.”
Grayson McCall and Dylan Hazen Lance King/Getty Images
His doctor labeled the incident as a traumatic brain injury, with the athlete’s dad advising him to think about the future.
“My whole world was crashing down,” McCall explained. “I love this game so much. But it’s a game and there’s more to life than playing football.”
McCall sat out the remainder of the season’s games, including the December 2023 bowl game. Weeks later, he entered the transfer portal after getting the all-clear to return to the game.
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Speaking to ESPN, McCall also mused about why he’s different than most athletes on the field.
“I think I’m the guy that if I come in every day with that confidence and swagger and aura — it’s very contagious and guys will follow it,” McCall said. “And then we have 100 dudes on this football team that are full of confidence that want to go whip the guy in front of them on every play. And if we take that mindset into every week, I don’t think there’s a team in the country that could play with us.”
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