He’s done playing football, period.
Kanellis, a junior offensive lineman, has decided to end his career because of severe migraine headaches, resulting from a pair of concussions suffered in the past six months.
“He’s been through a gauntlet of people examining him and getting advice, and I think he is pretty much at ease with his decision,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Kanellis, an Iowa City native who moved from the defensive line to the offensive side of the ball this past offseason.
“Obviously, we’re sorry to see that happen. You hate to see anybody get hurt, and you certainly hate to see a player end his career prior to when he anticipated.”
Kanellis brings to 10 the number of players Iowa has lost from its heralded 2005 recruiting class.
He played defensive end for two seasons, making three starts as a sophomore. He’ll finish his career with 28 tackles and one sack.
After last season, Kanellis shifted to the offensive line, packed on some weight and was listed as a backup right tackle entering fall camp. He said Aug. 6 at Iowa’s media day that the move gave him the best chance to help the team win. But he never fully recovered from a concussion suffered during spring practice in April, and he got frequent headaches while working out this summer.
“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.”
Kanellis plans to stay involved with the program, helping out on the strength and conditioning side of things, an area Ferentz said Kanellis has great interest.
“It’s a tough thing for any athlete,” said defensive lineman Matt Kroul, one of Kanellis’ better friends on the team. “We know it’s going to be tough for him. He’s a strong guy, mentally, so we know he’s going to get through it. But it’s going to be tough.”
A little overeager
One of Iowa’s six penalties on special teams Saturday came when freshman cornerback Jordan Bernstine, working as a “gunner” on the punt team, leveled Northern Illinois’ Greg Turner before the ball got to the return man on the Hawkeyes’ first punt.
“You could see it coming,” Ferentz said. “The good news is he is fast, because he got there way before the ball.
“The worst thing about the whole thing was that it ruined him for the rest of the day. He was afraid to really cut it loose the rest of the way.”
Bernstine, from Des Moines, was one of four true freshmen to see action in the season opener.
Despite the penalty, he got some encouragement from older teammates, who liked what they saw.
“He’s a freshman. Some things you have to just learn on the fly,” said senior corner Charles Godfrey, who formally served as the gunner on the punt team.
“Jordan knows what to do. He knows he can’t dwell on one mistake.”
Extra points
There are 200 tickets available for Saturday’s game against Syracuse. They were returned from the Orange’s allotment. … Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, which will be hosting its tailgate shows from Iowa’s campus Friday night and throughout the day Saturday. … Iowa will induct five new members into its athletic hall of fame Saturday, among them former all-American defensive end Andre Tippett, who helped lead the Hawkeyes to the Rose Bowl in 1981. … This week’s captains will be running backs Albert Young and Damian Sims, Godfrey and linebacker Mike Klinkenborg. … Receiver Paul Chaney Jr. will miss Saturday’s game with a lingering toe injury. Rob Bruggeman (knee), Jeff Tarpinian (knee) and Karl Klug (foot) also will be out. Offensive lineman Dace Richardson (knee) is practicing this week, but his status for the Syracuse game is uncertain.
Eric Page can be contacted at (563) 383-2277 or epage@qctimes.com.
