MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In August 2016, freshman four-star recruit Brendan Ferns began taking reps with West Virginia’s first-string defense. He called home excited about the possibility of being the starting Mike linebacker for the upcoming opener against Missouri.
Two days later, he tore his left ACL and the season was lost.
Ferns subsequently suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2017 and another torn ACL in the spring of 2018, injuries that led him to contemplate stepping away from football. Last week, after participating in one spring practice and not feeling the zip in his legs, Ferns gave up the game.