Sam Arneson to Hang Up Shoulder Pads and Call it a Career
The Wisconsin Badgers defeating Auburn in the Outback Bowl and finally getting a bowl win in six years was a great moment and a big part of that victory was tight end Sam Arneson. He had a memorable 4th-and-5 reception with under a minute left in the fourth quarter to keep the drive alive and give the Badgers a chance to send the game into overtime. That moment and game will be the last in Arneson’s career as he will not pursue the NFL and is calling it a career after four great years in Madison.
There was a chance that Arnseon would have been drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, but at the very least he would have received plenty of looks from plenty of teams around the league. But instead of taking the next step in his football journey, the Merrill, WI native has chosen to focus on his degree in kinesiology and take that next to graduate school for physical therapy.
Arneson told the Merrill Foto News that injuries also played a big part in his decision to hang it up:
"That was my last game. It’s a combination of injuries and such, and what’s right for me. I’ve had knee troubles since high school and I had a concussion. I didn’t play in the second half of the Big 10 championship game. It’s time for me. For my future, it’s what’s right for me."
His senior year was by far his best year at Wisconsin. Arneson finished the 2014 season second on the team in both receptions and yards with 29 and 387, respectively. He also recorded a team-high four touchdowns on the year. In the 50 games Arneson played for Wisconsin, he had 39 receptions for 463 yards and eight touchdowns. He also was a great blocker and one of the key reasons why the running game worked so well. And his blocking skills were also another big reason why Arneson was going to get a lot of looks from NFL teams.
Arneson was a joy to watch while he was in Madison and one player you could always rely on to make a play. Here’s wishing Arneson the best of luck in finishing his degree and continuing on to the next chapter of his life.
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