BOWLING GREEN — Caleb Bright, Bowling Green’s starting left tackle, will retire from football before his final season of eligibility.
Bright announced that he would step away from the game in an Instagram post on Monday evening in which he wrote an open letter to football, saying his body had been through enough.
“Countless hospital visits, psychologist visits, and doctor visits have made me realize how much much bigger life is than you,” Bright wrote. “That is why it’s time. It’s time to go our separate ways.”
Bright had been through a number of health concerns during the past two seasons, most notably a frightening incident after the Falcons’ September, 2018, game at Georgia Tech in which he had to be rushed to the hospital for heat-related symptoms.
After the game, Bright had no memory of playing during the fourth quarter, and his father, Scott, told The Blade weeks later that he believed only the rapid response of BGSU’s medical team saved Caleb’s life.
During his career, Bright also missed time due to concussions and underwent shoulder surgery after the 2019 season.
Bright returned to the field as a sophomore after the hospitalization, and then moved to left tackle for his redshirt junior season. BG went 3-9 but defeated rival Toledo for the first time in 10 years, and Bright played a key role in both the win and the celebration, leading the charge to dump a cooler on coach Scot Loeffler during the on-field celebration.
A native of Urbandale, Iowa, Bright graduated from Bowling Green in December, and decided shortly before the start of spring practice that he has played his final game.
“This is the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make, but’s the right decision for my mental and physical health,” he wrote. “Thank you for the memories, lifelong friendships, and always being there for me. Once a Falcon. Always a Falcon.”
First Published February 25, 2020, 3:43 a.m.
