Brain Injury Cuts Future Seminole’s Career Short

One of Florida State University’s top recruits was forced to cut short his promising career in football. Richy Klepal, a senior lineman at Plant High School in Tampa, Fla., suffered a concussion recently while practicing with his high school football team. Lingering medical issues meant that an aggravating injury could seriously endanger his life.

Klepal said that his doctor compared the state of his brain to that of a former patient, a retired NFL player with 10 concussions, and said Klepal’s brain was in worse condition.

Robert Weiner, Klepal’s coach at Plant High, said that Klepal is no longer in any danger from the brain injury. However, the risk to Klepal if his brain sustained further injury in the same spot was too great for him to continue playing football. Considering the danger, the otherwise tough decision was made easy.

The loss of Klepal is a blow to FSU’s 2013 recruiting class. Klepal was rated 4 out of 5 stars on Rivals.com. He committed to attend the university this summer and would have signed to play with the Seminoles in February.

For Klepal, however, it is not all bad news. When he told FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher of his inability to play for the Seminoles, Fisher told him he would honor Klepal’s scholarship to attend the university.