Just two days after Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule said that Mac Markway was about to see more and more playing time on the defensive line, the tight end turned rush end made a surprise announcement that somehow also wasn’t that big a surprise.
Markway took to social media on Wednesday morning to announce he was stepping away from football entirely. He cited the five season-ending injuries he’s suffered over his career and said his body simply isn’t holding up the way he expected it to.
The former LSU tight end, who made a surprise transfer to Nebraska just ahead of the 2024 season, announced his retirement on his Instagram account.
“Football has been a big part of my life and has made me and molded me into the man I am today. I couldn’t be more blessed with the people I have met along the way and the relationships I have built,” he wrote in the post.
Nebraska football loses Mac Markway to retirement after five season-ending injuries
“From playing at LSU as a freshman to coming to Nebraska and betting on myself. I completed my story by getting back on the field after 5 career-ending injuries. I gave my all to this sport that I love and is in my blood and to all my teammates and coaches.”
Markway went on to say that he owed a ton to his coaches and teammates because they helped him face those injuries and to keep coming back.
“The reality is my knees just aren’t what they used to be and aren’t letting me play at the level I want to.”
He added that now that he’s decided to step away from football, he’s got a huge weight and quite a bit of stress off his shoulders. He also said that just because he’s no longer playing the game, it doesn’t mean he won’t be involved with Nebraska and help his teammates improve. He signed off on the post by saying he’s excited to approach life not just as Mac the football player, but as Mac Markway.
Markway’s retirement due to injuries wouldn’t be surprising at all, if not for how strongly Rhule sang his praises earlier in the week.
"Mac Markway, coming off of three torn ACLs and been here for two years, hasn't played," Rhule said. "His role will, I think, significantly be amplified each week. I think you'll see him continue to move forward."
Markway played in just six snaps against Ohio and didn’t record a tackle. Still, that he saw the field at all was a heck of an accomplishment.
Just days after he transferred to Nebraska in 2024, he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the year. Last summer, he expected to make a comeback and work out of the tight end room, but he tore the same ACL and missed the year again. Over the winter, he approached the Husker coaches about switching to the defensive line.
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