Tennessee offensive lineman Eric Crosby retires from football

Tennessee offensive lineman Eric Crosby announced that he was stepping away from the game of football on Wednesday afternoon. The former four-star prospect was a member of Tennessee’s 2017 class.

“Throughout the last year, I have been battling a knee injury that would not get right, that would have me in constant daily pain, that would hold me back from doing a lot of things,” Crosby stated. “After talking with Doctors, my mom, and myself, we have decided is it best to medically retire from playing football, to protect my life long health.”

Crosby committed to Tennessee as a defensive tackle, but bounced back and forth between offensive line and defensive line in 2018. He was a redshirt sophomore for the Vols. Crosby didn’t see the field last year after redshirting in 2017.

Tennessee had him playing guard on the offensive line as Will Friend tries to find the best five to start this fall. Crosby’s retirement deals another blow to Tennessee’s depth up front. He’s the third offensive lineman to step away from football for medical concerns, following Chance Hall and Tanner Antonutti earlier this year. Senior tackle Drew Richmond also left the program, transferring to USC.

The Vols will welcome five freshmen offensive lineman this year, including two-five star prospects in Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris. Each one of those five will likely be needed immediately on the depth chart.