It is so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. A career is over before it even gets off the ground.
After giving it the old college try, New York Jets backup quarterback Jordan Travis has made the pain-staking decision to retire from the NFL. Travis’ decision to walk away from the game is solely based on his catastrophic leg injury that he suffered during his final season at Florida State University.
Travis, who was enjoying a magic carpet ride of a season prior to the injury, was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He rehabbed the injury during training camp and spent the entire 2024 season on the reserve/non-football injury list.
“On November 18, 2023, my life took an unexpected turn,” Travis said in a statement. “I gave everything I had to the rehab process but despite all my efforts, my leg never responded the way we hoped. After much prayer and consultation with the doctors, medical experts and my agent, I’ve been medically advised to retire from the game I love so deeply.”
“It’s unfortunate that he was unable to get back on the field after working so hard,” Jets brand new GM Darren Mougey said in a statement. “We support his decision and wish him only the best.”
Travis, who will turn 25 on Friday, May 2, played six seasons in college that included five at Florida State. He was one of college football’s most productive quarterbacks during his last two years with the Seminoles. In 2022, Travis threw 24 touchdowns against just five interceptions while leading the ACC in several categories that included passer rating. His success that year led Florida State to a 10-3 record, a bowl victory over the Oklahoma Sooners and an 11th-place finish in the Final AP poll.
Embed from Getty ImagesTravis and the Seminoles were even better the next year. Florida State started off unblemished, a perfect 11-0 with Travis throwing 20 touchdowns, in addition to scoring seven touchdowns on the ground, against just two picks. Everything changed and took a dramatic turn for the worse after Travis suffered what ultimately became a season-ending injury against North Alabama. Despite the season-ending injury, Travis finished fifth in that year’s Heisman Trophy voting.
“It’s crazy how fast life can change,” Travis wrote. “This is not the ending I had ever imagined, but I do trust The Lord’s Plan above all
else. … Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the ride.”
