Baylor, former Ohio OL Kurt Danneker announces medical retirement from football

Baylor and former Ohio offensive lineman Kurt Danneker announced on Thursday he was medically retiring from football. Danneker’s decision comes after a third ACL injury that has made it “impossible” for him to continue his career.

Danneker began his college career at Ohio, enrolling as a member of the Class of 2018. He transferred to Baylor in January 2024 to play his final year of college football.

“Unfortunately, a third ACL injury has made it impossible for me to continue playing,” Danneker said in a statement on social media. “My health and future well-being must come first. Although I won’t be able to contribute on the field, I will always support my teammates and this program in any way I can.”

To new beginnings pic.twitter.com/LohAmeGgQ6

— Kurt Danneker (@kdannek) July 11, 2024

In six seasons at Ohio, Danneker took a while to catch on after redshirting his freshman season. He went on to be a stalwart on the line his last two years and made 25 starts in 36 appearances for the Bobcats in his career.

Danneker, in his announcement, thanked his teammates and coaches who helped him make it this far.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to my coaches, teammates, medical staff, and fans. Your support and belief in me have meant the world. To my family and friends, you unwavering love and encouragement have been integral to my success. Thank you all for being a part of this journey. Though I am closing this chapter, the story is far from over. Here’s to new beginnings and the endless possibilities ahead,” Danneker said.

Baylor could be in for a turnaround season

There’s no question that the rise of NIL has significantly impacted recruiting in college football, but On3’s Andy Staples believes the transactional culture of the sport is nothing new.

“I don’t like the morality play of college football. I’ve never liked this because it’s always been a business, it’s always been about winning, it’s never been totally about making men out of people or developing better human beings,” Staples said. “That’s not the point, and that’s not what gets you hired or fired necessarily. Now that said, there are lots of coaches out there, Dave Aranda included, who do want to help their players become better people. In fact, I would say that is most coaches.”

Some of football’s top head coaches have retired, moved onto the NFL level, or have stepped down to less prominent staff roles this offseason. And there’s no question that the new demands regarding NIL and the transfer portal have made an impact.

Factors like culture fit, academics, facilities, and the many other elements that play into a recruit choosing to sign with a program are still relevant. But what a program can provide a student-athlete with financially now definitely looms large over recruiting and has led coaches like Aranda to seek out balancing the personal and fiscal aspects of football off the field.

“So Dave Aranda saying I need this to be transformational, not transactional. That’s up to you, that’s your choice,” Staples said. “You can continue to try to make a transformational all you want. But yes, there’s a transaction involved, just like any other business in the world. So for Dave Aranda, you make millions of dollars. You will get to keep making millions of dollars to coach football if you win enough games. You will be fired if you don’t win enough games. They will not fire you for not molding enough men, but they will fire you for losing too much.”