Wide receiver Kaleb Smith, who transferred from Virginia Tech to Notre Dame in the offseason, announced his medical retirement from football on Saturday.
The 6-foot-2 Smith went through most of the spring program with the Fighting Irish but decided it is time to for him to leave the sport. He had one remaining year of eligibility.
“Throughout my career I have had many ups and downs, going from a walk-on to team captain, but this has to be the hardest one yet,” he wrote on Twitter. “As someone who has dedicated their life to this sport, this game we call football, you never think about when it will end. For me, (the) end has come before I was expecting it to.
“After countless hours of prayers and thought I believe my time playing this game has passed. What is more important to me now is my future after football and to achieve that I must focus on my mental and physical health which has taken a great toll.”
Smith ends his career with 74 receptions, 1,143 yards and seven touchdowns in 43 games, all with the Hokies.
His best season came in 2022, when he caught 37 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns. His top game came Oct. 8 at Pitt, where he tallied 152 receiving yards.
