Junior’s health ends long run with football

In the game vs. Iowa City High on Aug. 31, junior Bo Grosse ran for 56 yards and scored one touchdown, but he has since had to give up his love for the sport due to repeated concussions.

Football has been a part of junior Bo Grosse’s life, going all the way back to his earliest days in school.

“It’s been my family’s favorite sport forever, and most of the men in my family were great players. I’ve also been playing since first grade, so it’s been there with me every step of the way as I grew up,” Grosse said.

Grosse filled in as the starting running back while senior Sam Gary was out for a shoulder injury. In the span of three games Grosse gathered up 394 rushing yards.

“The biggest and most exciting experience I’ve had is when I was playing in place of Sam while he was injured for the Bettendorf game. It was an awesome experience, and it was great beating a really good team and being in front of a crowd that large,” Grosse said. 

So it was all the harder for Grosse when he made the choice to end his long run with playing football after dealing with multiple concussions in his career.

“When I received my last concussion, I was very overwhelmed and really didn’t know how to react to it. I told myself before the season that if I got one more concussion, I was done, and when it happened, I didn’t know how to feel about it,” Grosse said. “I’ve had three concussions that were diagnosed, but I know that I’ve had three or four additional ones that went by without being taken care of.”

Before his injuries, Grosse had planned to attend college and continue his career in football, so he said ending this dream was hard for many reasons.

“The worst thing about not being able to play football anymore is the goals and expectations from myself and others that I had to drop. The hardest thing to think about is what could’ve been if I continued to play. The thing that I’ll miss the most about football is the feelings and emotions you get before, during and after a game. It’s surreal, and there’s nothing else like it,” Grosse said.

Grosse has had great support when dealing with the concussion. “My mom was very supportive in this situation as well as the coaches who were very understanding and helpful during the whole ordeal. I’m also lucky to have great friends and teammates that kept my spirits up and kept me positive.”

Now that his career is done, he is pursuing hobbies. “Powerlifting is a big part of my life, and I have set some big goals in it that I’m working to accomplish in the next couple of years and beyond,” Grosse said.