Stanford Lineman Branson Bragg retires after injury and mental health struggles

Stanford, California - Stanford offensive lineman Branson Bragg has retired from football as lingering symptoms from a concussion and other mental health factors took their toll.

Stanford lineman Branson Bragg retired from football Monday night and will finish his final year at Stanford with a degree in Mathematical and Computational Science.
Stanford lineman Branson Bragg retired from football Monday night and will finish his final year at Stanford with a degree in Mathematical and Computational Science.  © Screenshot / Instagram / Bransonbragg

Bragg, who did not play in Stanford's first two games of the season, took to Twitter on Monday to announce the end of his career in a heartfelt message.

"I’m heartbroken to announce that I’ve decided to retire from football," Bragg wrote. "This was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but with long-term lingering and intense symptoms stemming from a severe concussion I sustained in training camp, along with other mental health factors, I’m confident that stepping away is the best decision for me."

He added: "The past four years at Stanford have been everything that I could’ve hoped for, and I created countless lifelong bonds while living out my dream with the best teammates and support staff in the world."

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The 6-foot-4, 315-pound athlete started a total of 16 games throughout his Cardinal career and earned several honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors from publications and the league's coaches in 2020-21.

This season, Bragg was set to be Stanford's starting left guard and garnered preseason honors prior to sustaining an injury during the offseason training camp.

Bragg detailed that he plans to graduate on time with a Bachelors degree in mathematical and computational science.

Cover photo: Screenshot / Instagram / Bransonbragg

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