Alex Kanellis's career is over

We mentioned last week that Alex Kanellis would be hanging up the cleats for the year. As it turns out, the concussions are forcing Alex off the field for good.

Eric Page over at the QC Times' Hawkmania.com (the site that should have replaced HawkCentral in your bookmarks long ago) has a writeup about Kanellis, and it's predictably depressing.

“You have to be smart,” Ferentz said. “Everybody’s career is going to end at some point. We all have a picture of when it’s going to end, and when it doesn’t end that way, it’s tough. It’s just not worth taking any unnecessary chances.”

And to be sure, by "unnecessary chances," Ferentz is referring to the vastly increased likelihood that Kanellis's brain would leak out of his ears the next time he concussed himself.

It's always a shame to see a young player's opportunity cut short for medical reasons, and this scenario is no exception. The good news is that Kanellis will probably stick around the program and help the S&C program, much the same way fellow medical casualties Vernon Jackson and Alex Wilcox are doing so.

Alex Kanellis is out for the year

Rough news for lineman Alex Kanellis, he of a rocking moustache: No football this year.

Kanellis had been battling post-concussion syndrome over most of training camp, and doctors have recommended that he continue to sit out. Said Ferentz:

"I can't see how he would (play this year)," Ferentz said. "Let's say everything works out that he could come back, he really hasn't played offensive line (except for) maybe 10 days or something like that."

"He's missed so much time right now that it would unrealistic to think he's going to go out there and play," Ferentz said. "And that's such a small part. Right now it's just what's in his best interests."

The good news is that Kanellis can use this season as a redshirt, so he won't lose any eligibility. The bad news is that it's clear from Ferentz's language ("what's in his best interests," etc.) that there are still brain issues that need to be resolved.

We can only imagine what sort of hell this must be for Alex. He has been a lauded football player for so long, and here he finds himself physically capable of playing. Even his cognition is back where it should be. To be told by a doctor that a full recovery from a concussion isn't good enough to let you back on the field must be frustrating and agonizing beyond measure.

Let's be clear: multiple concussions are absolutely nothing to screw around with. If Kanellis was having issues days after the injury, then that's a clear sign that his brain can't take much more. While he could truthfully look you straight in the eye and tell you he's fine right now, getting his bell rung again would potentially be disastrous. It's quite conceivable, therefore, that his football career is already over.

Unfortunately, "you'll be able to tie your shoes when you're 60" is probably scant consolation for Alex. We wish him the best of luck and health in his recovery.

(photo obtained from HawkeyeFootball.com)