WVU QB Clint Trickett retires after five concussions in 14 months

Published Dec. 26, 2014 2:45 p.m. ET

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West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett will not play in the Liberty Bowl against Texas A&M on Dec. 29, coach Dana Holgorsen said Friday.

Trickett suffered a concussion on Nov. 20 against Kansas but was cleared to play in the bowl, However, sophomore Skyler Howard will step in for the Mountaineers (7-5) against Texas A&M (7-5).

A senior, Trickett said he's suffered five concussions in the past 14 months and hid two of those from trainers.

"It would be dangerous for me to be out there," Trickett said.

Trickett hasn't played since being knocked out of the 26-20 loss to Kansas State. After disclosing Friday all the concussions he'd sustained over the past 14 months, Trickett suggested he hadn't told the team's medical staff about some of them at the time they happened.

"That was on me," Trickett said. "If they would have known, they probably would have been more cautious about it, but I was trying to push through it."

Trickett said he plans to go into coaching and referred to it as the "family business." Trickett is the son of Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett. He began his college career with Florida State before transferring to West Virginia.

"I know he's going to be a hell of a coach one day," Holgorsen said.

Howard is 36 of 65 for 483 yards with five touchdown passes and no interceptions in three games this season. He started West Virginia's regular-season finale against Iowa State and threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 69 more yards in the Mountaineers' 37-24 victory.

"The improvements that he made in the last two months, I've never seen it with a quarterback before, not as a true sophomore," Holgorsen said.

Trickett completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions this season.

"I would love to be out there and finish the season with my guys my last game," Trickett said. "It's unfortunate how it ended, but I had a great senior year."

After the announcement, Trickett's brother Travis, who is a coach at Samford University, Tweeted this in support of Clint:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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