Indiana QB Zander Diamont on quitting football: 'I need my brain'

Graham Watson
Indiana backup QB Zander Diamont has chosen to forgo his final season in part because of concussions.
Indiana backup QB Zander Diamont has chosen to forgo his final season in part because of concussions. (Getty)

Indiana backup quarterback Zander Diamont has decided to forgo his final season of eligibility in part because he’s concerned about head injuries.

“To be honest, I’ve had a lot of concussions in my career, a lot of which were in high school,” Diamont said Saturday. “With the way that I play and my size, I’m not going to start being the guy who slides and steps out of bounds. It’s just not my style.”

Diamont, a junior, will graduate from Indiana in the spring. His final game will be the Hoosiers’ bowl game. He said he discussed his future with his family before informing coach Kevin Wilson of his decision last week.

“One of his gifts is his ability to run but he’s a small guy and he plays with a lot of heart and a lot of courage,” Wilson said of Diamont. “I think some of those hits are adding up on him.”

During his three years at Indiana, Diamont had 837 passing yards and one passing touchdown and 552 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

“If I’m going to go out, I’m going to go out my way,” Diamont said. “I’m not going to alter the way that I play in order to treat that side of the deal. I think that for my safety and my future — I’m not going to the NFL — I need my brain. So that was the decision.”

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!