Badgers head coach Paul Chryst announced the decision after practice Tuesday, according to the report. Voltz missed six games last season (including Wisconsin’s final five) after tearing the ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee against IL on October 24. “So telling them you won’t be part of this anymore wasn’t easy for me”.
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“It’s hard. This program has really been a big part of my life for five years now”, Voltz said. “It’s something I deeply care about”.
Voltz, who already graduated and is pursuing his master’s degree, plans to remain with the team, serving as a player-coach on the sidelines.
Voltz said he was quitting football due to “physical reasons”. I admire and respect his approach.
The Barrington, Illinois native played in 32 games with 27 starts at center for the Badgers after enrolling in the spring of 2012. He checked in as No. 4 among centers on NFLDraftScout.com’s 2017 rankings, behind Ohio State’s Pat Elflein, LSU’s Ethan Pocic and West Virginia’s Tyler Orlosky. He helped pave the way for Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon to rush for 2,587 yards, second-most in FBS history. Redshirt sophomore Micah Kapoi is expected to get the first crack at filling Voltz’s reps at left guard, although redshirt freshman Jon Dietzen should also heavily factor into the rotation as well. Senior running back Corey Clement is an National Football League talent in his own right but also is coming off an injury-plagued 2015 season.
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LSU plays Wisconsin in the season opener for both teams September 3 in Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.
