Georgia Tech football captain Kyle Efford ends career because of injuries

Kyle Efford is retiring from football.

The Georgia Tech senior linebacker and team captain announced Tuesday that injuries, including to his right shoulder, have ended his playing career.

“This isn’t how I imagined my football career coming to an end, but I am at peace,” Efford said. “I can say with complete confidence that I gave this game every single piece of me. There is nothing left in the tank, and there are no regrets in my heart.”

Efford started Saturday’s 28-25 win against Duke after missing the previous two games because of injury. He finished his final game with six tackles, including one for loss.

Limited to 169 defensive snaps over three games this season, Efford averaged nine tackles per game. That average would rank third in the ACC if he had played enough to qualify for official NCAA statistics.

Jackets coach Brent Key discussed Efford’s stature in the program last week before the Duke game.

“I could sit here and talk for 30 minutes about Kyle and what he means to this program, what he means to this team,” Key said.

Efford started for the Jackets in each of the past four seasons and became the first Tech player in 24 years to lead the team in tackles three straight years. He finished his career with 250 tackles.

“I fell in love with the game of football the moment I stepped on the field at 5 years old,” Efford said. “Since that day, I’ve always played this game a little differently. Every time I stepped between those lines, I made a decision to give everything I had in me. Empty the tank. Leave nothing behind. In my eyes, that’s the only way to play the game of football.”