A&M Standout Safety Medically Retires Prior To Gator Bowl

Texas A&M will close out its season against Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl. One player has already played his final down with the team prior to the trip to Jacksonville.

A&M safety Keldrick Carper announced his retirement due to medical issues on Monday. He had returned for a "super senior" season as the team's third safety, but wound up missing nine of the team's last ten games of the season.

Carper said that a concussion was the lingering issue to keep him out off the field for most of the year. He finished the 2021 season with only seven tackles and a pass breakup.

"I know many of you have wondered why I haven't been present most of the season," Carper wrote. "I suffered two concussions early on that caused me to miss a lot of time from the game and my teammates. This was crushing to me. I made attempts to get back on the field but it just wasn't right nor did it feel safe ...I have officially medically retired from football."

Carper played in all ten games during A&M's 9-1 season fall, starting in three in place of the injured Demani Richardson. He finished tenth on the team in tackles (27) while also recording two tackles for loss and two pass deflections.

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In 2020, Carper recorded his first career interception while helping A&M limit the Gamecocks to 150 yards of total offense in the win at South Carolina. A native of Plain Dealing, Louisiana, Carper earned the team’s Community Service Award.

A former three-star recruit, Carper was a member of Kevin Sumlin's final recruiting class in 2017. Carper held offers from Miami, Nebraska, Kansas State, TCU, Ole Miss, Louisville, Tennessee, Georgia, and Notre Dame.

Carper finishes his college career with 125 total tackles, 12 tackles for losses, seven pass deflections, and an interception.

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