Virginia Tech redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaden Payoute announced on Tuesday that he is taking a medical disqualification and retiring from football after multiple injuries.
Thank you Hokie Nation for the endless love and support. Will always be a Hokie forever 🧡 #4704 pic.twitter.com/MYQ2T6lsh0
— Jaden Payoute (@JJPayoute_1) March 29, 2022
Payoute signed with Virginia Tech in the 2019 recruiting class, and he was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 prospect in Virginia and the No. 106 player in the country. After redshirting in 2019, he broke his foot in the preseason in 2020 and had to have surgery. Yet another corrective surgery came before spring practice in 2021.
Appearing in six of Virginia Tech’s first seven games in 2022, Payoute did not record a pass, and continued to battle other unspecified injuries. After not playing in the final five games of the regular season, he played a career-high 42 snaps in the Pinstripe Bowl, recording his only career catch for 42 yards.
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I don’t believe that kid loved football. He played in the Army All American game. Highly recruited. Made his announcement there. Sometimes I feel that highly recruited kids need to play early in their college careers or they will give up on football. Seen it happen. Wish he could have panned out. Best of luck in future endeavers!
Hats off to Coach Pry and VT for keeping him on scholarship
Best wishes, Jaden. Every football playing career ends at some point. We just don’t know when!
He played for 42 snaps and caught a pass for 42 yards in the bowl game, thus vindicating Douglass Adams in “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”.
You’re a classy young man, Jaden. You’ll have a great future.
This is a guy I feel bad for. He tried all he could, and his body wouldn’t cooperate. I hope he gets his degree and has a very happy successful life!
Very few players leave the game on their own terms. Most leave because the body suffers something catastrophic or the entire body or a specific part wears out a little at a time.
Thanks for the Hokie effort, young man. We’re proud of you!
Tough break for him and the Hokies. Good luck Jaden!
Very well written. If he has this forethought to get this right, whether he actually wrote it or had help doesn’t matter, he will do well in life.
Good luck to you Jaden.
Except for the “didn’t record a pass” line. Wouldn’t that be reception?
Really feel for this young man and others like him. So much promise but it is a tough game and asks you to do thing bodies shouldn’t regularly do. I’ve got 9 broken bones in wrist (2 events) meniscus in both knees, and numerous other dents and dings. My advantage, never had any actual talent! So no expectations.
70 years old, 12 orthopedic surgeries including both hips replaced, two back fusions and three shoulder surgeries- arm nerves relocated…yada, yada.
And i didn’t play football…basketball and golf for 50 years and now on pain relievers 24-7…cant swing the clubs and once was close to scratch.
Sports r great until they aren’t. Only the athlete can decide when to quit.