COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina tight end Kiel Pollard is giving up football after a cyst was found on his spinal cord.
The Gamecocks announced Pollard's decision Friday.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Pollard sustained a small fracture in his neck last week and was expected to miss up to six weeks. But South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said the cyst was found during examinations. The coach said the cyst "appeared to have been there since he was a child."
Given the severity of the situation and possible long-term health consequences, Pollard was forced to give up playing, Muschamp said.
Pollard is a senior from Moultrie, Georgia, and had played 38 games over three seasons with 17 career catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns.