NC State sixth-year senior quarterback Grayson McCall knew what the move was, but that didn’t make his decision any easier.

McCall publicly announced his retirement Oct. 23, ending years of honing his craft in becoming a standout college football player. The decision, while difficult, was caused by McCall saying he had six or seven concussions over the years.

The last two came while at NC State, with the first one happening in a more subtle manner against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 14, and the second one played out in front of thousands and thousands of individuals either in attendance or watching on TV against Wake Forest on Oct. 5. He collided with three different Wake Forest defenders in trying to get a first-down run, and the ball and his helmet both simultaneously went flying.