Boise State starting defensive end Shane Irwin has medically retired from football ahead of the 2022 season.
Head coach Andy Avalos made the announcement with a statement on Thursday.
“My heart goes out to Shane and his family,” Avalos said. “It’s unfortunate to see his career end due to injury. He truly embraces what it means to be a Bronco and embodies the culture and brotherhood within our program.”
The nature of Irwin’s injury was not specified by the program.
Irwin shared his own message of farewell to the Boise State program and his college football career.
“Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have been a part of this program for the past few years,” Irwin said, per a release on the team’s website. “Thank you to my coaches and teammates for the unforgettable memories, and for supporting me along my college football journey.
“Although this is not the way I would have like things to end, I am extremely grateful for the experiences and am looking forward to representing Bronco Athletics in my next chapter of life. Go Broncos!”
Irwin appeared in 18 games during his two active seasons with Boise State, including 11 starts. He logged 65 tackles, 9.0 sacks and three forced fumbles and was named All Mountain West Second Team in 2020.
Irwin would’ve been a sixth-year senior for the Broncos in 2022.