SAN ANTONIO — UTSA announced Tuesday that sophomore quarterback Blake Bogenschutz has been advised by team doctors to give up football due to lingering concussion-like symptoms.
Bogenschutz missed the final seven games of the 2015 season after sustaining a concussion in the second half of the Conference USA opener at UTEP (Oct. 3).
The 6-foot, 195-pounder from Carthage completed 81-of-137 passes (59.1 percent) for 897 yards and four touchdowns in the opening five contests of his redshirt freshman campaign. Making his second career start in last fall's season opener at then-No. 22 Arizona, Bogenschutz broke the Roadrunners' single-game program record with 332 passing yards while connecting on 25-of-43 throws for two scores. He added 31 yards on the ground to eclipse the school’s single-game standard for total yards with 363.
"This has been one of the toughest situations, if not the toughest, that I have encountered over the course of my life," Bogenschutz said. "As much as I love football, I respect the doctors' decision to end my career. Despite my strong love and passion for the game, I have come to peace and realization that my health is more important than a game. I find peace in that I played every down with all of my heart and always left everything I had out on the field.
"Concussions are a serious deal in this day and age and I have learned that first-hand. My mind and heart are on good terms with walking away from it all knowing that it could've easily gotten worse.
"I would like to thank everyone who supported me in chasing my dreams throughout the course of my football career. Football has taught me so much about life and I will forever be grateful for the lessons, friendships and memories that it brought to my life over the last eight years. I have faith that this is God's plan for me and I strongly believe that there are still better days ahead. I'll always be a Roadrunner and will continue to be here for my teammates as we strive to better ourselves as a team and family."
Bogenschutz finishes his two years at UTSA with career statistics of 1,179 passing yards and four touchdowns to go along with a 57.5 completion percentage (103-of-179) in eight games of action (six starts). He also rushed for a pair of scores.
Bogenschutz will remain on scholarship and serve as a student assistant coach until he completes his civil engineering undergraduate degree requirements.
“We are ecstatic that Blake will remain a part of the UTSA football program as a student assistant,” head coach Frank Wilson said. “It certainly is an unfortunate situation that he will no longer be able to play the game he loves, but we are very fortunate that he will continue to be a part of the UTSA family. His input, knowledge and work ethic exemplifies everything we look for in a student-athlete and to be able to keep him around the program in a vital role in practice and game day preparation is something that we’re very excited about."