Jeremy Larkin always knew his playing career would end eventually. But nobody — not him, not his coaches, and certainly not any Northwestern fan — saw it ending as quickly as it did.
During the bye week of his sophomore season, Larkin abruptly retired from football after being diagnosed with cervical stenosis — the narrowing of the spinal canal in such a way that potentially harmful spinal injuries become more likely. Larkin began to feel a consistent numbness in his spine, often between plays, and after casually mentioning this abnormal feeling to coaches and players, Northwestern’s medical staff chose to further investigate.