On Wednesday, BYU linebacker Ben Bywater was tasked with the hardest thing he’s ever had to do as a member of the Cougars’ football program.
In speaking with reporters in the afternoon hours, Bywater announced that he is done playing college football due to persistent nerve damage in his shoulder.
Bywater, who was in street clothes when meeting with the media, said that some “tough conversations” led to his decision to step away from the game and that his playing days in Provo are over.
“I had some tough conversations the other day. I’m not cleared to go, and I won’t be medically cleared to go. Looks like my days of playing BYU football are behind me,” Bywater said.
A super-senior from Salt Lake City (UT), Bywater collected a career total of 247 tackles during his time with the Cougars and was set to use his COVID year of eligibility this fall. However, nerve damage in his shoulder never subsided enough for him to get back on the field, and now, his collegiate carer has come to a close.
“Ben’s been here for a long time. We knew that this was a possibility,” said BYU coach Kalani Sitake. “We were hopeful that he could get back and be ready for us to play. But it’s just too risky. As much as I’d love him to play, and he’d love to do it, it’s too much of a risk.”
While Bywater’s time of playing football at BYU is over, he’s not ruled out a career in the NFL as a possibility. In his final season, Bywater appeared in the first four games of the 2023 season, totaling 32 tackles in that time.
“I’m so grateful,” Bywater said. “My dream was to play at BYU. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
