Cougar hoss hangs up his cleats due to health

HE WAS DOWN the depth chart this spring but some thought if he could stay healthy, he might be able to make a contribution this season. That’s no longer in the cards. A Cougar player has been advised to give up the sport due to too many concussions, and that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

Sebastian Valenzuela (6-2, 312), listed as the 4th string offensive guard on the spring depth chart, is hanging them up, Paul Wulff confirmed to CF.C.

Valenzuela, who would have been a third year sophomore this season, suffered concussion-like symptoms on two occasions last year and three all told in his two years at WSU, and he has not fully recovered from his last concussion. He was being held out this spring.

Additional sources told CF.C that doctors advised Valenzuela his recovery time on his last concussion would be lengthy, perhaps requiring him to sit out a full year, and strongly advised him to consider no longer playing rather than risk his long-term health. After consideration, Valenzuela made the decision to retire.

Valenzuela will remain at Washington State to pursue his degree.