Ohio State defender Kourt Williams II announced his retirement after undergoing seven surgeries during his collegiate career.
Following four seasons with the Buckeyes, Williams shared his decision Wednesday afternoon on Instagram.
“In these 5 years, there’s been a lot of light and a lot of dark…but I wouldn’t change a thing,” Williams wrote. “It’s been a long time coming, and it’s time to move on.”
Williams missed his entire freshman season with a torn ACL before recording 28 tackles in 11 games the following year. However, he’s since played just six games.
Shoulder injuries forced the former four-star recruit to undergo three different procedures over the course of a year.
“It got to the point where if I tried to shake somebody’s hand, my shoulder would come out,” Williams told Buckeyes Sports Bulletin last year. “I couldn’t catch. It got real bad.”
Williams moved from safety to linebacker before the 2023 season, but he suffered another ACL tear in August.
“I feel awful for Kourt,” Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said, via BuckeyesNow. “I feel like he can’t catch a break. He’s such a great young man and so our prayers are out to him, and we’re all rallying around Kourt.”
Williams said Wednesday that he’s undergone four surgeries to go along with his three shoulder procedures over the last five years.
A three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete, the 2022 captain graduated last year with a communications degree.
Related: Ryan Day Confirms Season-Ending Injury For Ohio State Tuesday