Clemson's Justin Foster retires from football amid battle with coronavirus

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Clemson defensive end Justin Foster announced Wednesday he is retiring from football completely after a severe bought with COVID-19 last year.

Foster made the revelation he was stepping away from the game in a statement posted to social media.

"For those unaware, I was born with asthma and allergies that, when active, affect my ability to breath normally. The combination of these conditions, along with contracting COVID, made for a severe difficulty to perform physically," he said.

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"While my situation has improved, I am not in a position now, nor do I see that position soon, to step back on the field."

Foster had a solid collegiate career with the Tigers before he stepped away from the field before the 2020 season.

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He recorded 66 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 39 games for Clemson between 2017 and 2019. In 2019, he was named to the All-ACC Honorable Mention team after recorded 41 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He played in the team’s national championship loss to LSU.

According to 24/7 Sports, Foster was a four-star recruit coming into Clemson.

"He had a very tough fall," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said, via ESPN. "He's always had challenges with [asthma and allergies], but when he got COVID last summer, that really set him back."

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Swinney said he tried to talk Foster out of it but supported his decision.