Former West Virginia quarterback Will Grier has retired after seven NFL seasons, bringing an end to a football career that included one of the most accomplished stretches by a quarterback in Mountaineer history. Read more: One of WVU’s best: Will Grier calls it a career.
During two seasons at West Virginia, Grier played in 22 games, completing 516 of 782 passes for 7,354 yards and 71 touchdowns while posting a 66% completion rate.
Related: Former WVU standout QB announces retirement from the NFL
He also became just the fourth Mountaineer to finish in the top five of Heisman Trophy voting.
Before arriving in Morgantown
Grier began his collegiate career at Florida in 2014, before becoming the Gators’ starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2015.
During the 2015 season, Grier helped lead Florida to a No. 8 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. This accomplishment came before he was suspended for one year after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Grier later said the positive test stemmed from a supplement he took without consulting Florida’s medical staff.
“I took an over-the-counter supplement that had something in it,” Grier said. “I did not check with the medical staff before taking it. I hope people can learn from this, learn from my mistake. I’m really sorry to everyone.”
Following the suspension, Grier transferred to West Virginia for a fresh start.
Year 1 in the 304
Because of NCAA transfer rules and the remainder of his suspension, Grier sat out the 2016 season after transferring to West Virginia.
Though he was unable to play immediately, Grier spent the season learning then-head coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense. He did this while leading the scout team and preparing to take over as the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback following Skyler Howard’s departure.
Grier put together a breakout season in 2017, leading West Virginia to victories over rival Virginia Tech and Big 12 opponents Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. He finished the year with more than 3,400 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes, helping the Mountaineers to a 7-6 record and a berth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Heisman campaign
Expectations were high entering the 2018 season, as Grier returned alongside one of the nation’s top receiving corps, including David Sills V and Gary Jennings.
Perhaps the highlight of the season and of his career is the infamous “horns down” game. Not only did Grier drop a strike in to Jennings in the waning moments in front of a sold-out Texas crowd to bring it within one point, he also took in the two-point conversion on a keeper for the win. It is a moment etched into WVU Football history and college football as a whole.
West Virginia climbed into the Top 10 during the season and entered November in contention for both the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff. Back-to-back heartbreaking shootout losses to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma snuffed out those hopes, but the season was an overall success.
The Mountaineers ended up in the Camping World Bowl against Syracuse, the final game of Grier’s collegiate career.
He did not go out with a win, but Grier grabbed quite the national spotlight. He did this by finishing fourth in the 2018 Heisman Trophy voting behind Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins.
In the NFL
The Carolina Panthers selected Grier in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. During his seven-year professional career, he also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Grier made limited regular season appearances during his NFL career before announcing his retirement Wednesday, July 15.
He finishes his football career as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in West Virginia history, leaving Morgantown ranked among the program’s all-time leaders despite playing just two seasons for the Mountaineers.
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