Cal defensive lineman Brett Johnson announced Wednesday morning via Instagram that he was medically retiring from football.
“This was a difficult decision but with the multiple injuries I have sustained both on and off the field, I am unable to play football at the highest level and without seriously sacrificing my long and short-term health,” the statement reads.
Johnson joined the Bears in 2019, but had the entirety of his 2021 and 2022 seasons sidelined by injury, first after a car accident and then following a knee injury sustained during training camp. The decision, Johnson said, came after he re-injured the same knee in the Bears’ final regular-season game against UCLA.
“After that, that’s kind of when I came to my decision that I need to step away from the game, prioritize my health for just the long term, the sake of the rest of my life. To step away from the game is difficult. To step away from my teammates is difficult. To separate from this lifestyle is difficult,” Johnson said in a press conference shortly after his announcement. “It is definitely something that can be hard at first for sure, but I am very much excited. I’m very much looking forward to the opportunities that I’m sure will be abundant at this next stage of my life.”
After being away from the field for two years, Johnson made his first appearance in just over 1,000 days in the Bears’ opening contest against North Texas in 2023. That experience, Johnson said, meant a lot to him. Not necessarily because he was back on the field after such a long pause — but because of why he was doing it.
“I feel like for the first time in my life, I was playing football for no other purpose — for no other person — than myself. Every other time it’s always been kind of, I have to do this because of such and such a thing, for this person or for whatever, because it’s what’s expected of me, because of what I've been told to do,” Johnson said. “That was the first time where it’s like, I’m truly here on my own accord. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone except for myself.”
The senior has left a lasting impact on the Cal community, as a fan-favorite player and an ambassador for athletes facing setbacks. He was in the running for the Comeback Player of the Year, playing in all 12 games of the regular season after not seeing the field for two years.
“What a warrior. I mean, he is. He put a lot into this program and had some really unfortunate circumstances. Bad luck, I think you could call it, with the injuries that he suffered along the way,” said Cal head coach Justin Wilcox in a press conference Wednesday. “He did a lot for us on the field, he did a lot for us off the field. He’s a really well-respected guy on the team and forever will be a Cal Bear. We appreciate everything that he did and want to help him in his future endeavors.”
Wilcox extended the same message to center Brian Driscoll, who also retired from football with eligibility remaining. He added that both players got the most out of themselves, and said that Driscoll was going to be very successful in the future “because of the work ethic and the toughness that he showed as a player here.”
As Wilcox mentioned, the off the field accomplishments are just as important as what Johnson’s been able to accomplish on the field. Johnson has become an ambassador for mental and physical health among athletes — by receiving an award he hadn’t heard of before. Earlier in the year, Johnson became one of two recipients of the CalHOPE Courage Award, awarded to student-athletes in California who have “overcome the stress, anxiety and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity,” according to a Cal press release.
Johnson was selected for the monthly honor Jan. 9, but hadn’t heard of its existence before he was nominated. Since then, he said, he’s been honored to receive it, but hopes to use it to acknowledge those around him.
“I’m honored to receive it, for sure. I feel like what that award represents is something that I want to share with others. I understand that I received the award but what got me through … all of this hardship and whatnot throughout my career was the people around me,” Johnson said. “And I want to be a person that is around people that need support the way I did. I want to be able to do that for people the same way that people were there for me.”
What’s next? He’s not quite sure.
Johnson said he was hoping to travel and see the world for the next six months to a year. He said he’s spent his life living a similar lifestyle, and that it would be “refreshing” to get some new perspective. Of course, he said he was going to be seeking job opportunities — he is, after all, a graduate of UC Berkeley — but hasn’t decided on anything in particular as of yet.
He added that he enjoys working with people, and has thought about mentoring, especially given his experiences.
“Within my experiences, even just here at Cal, I could be able to help people that are helping with mental, emotional, physical issues,” Johnson said. “I feel like I could be a good perspective and a good help for people in that way, so that’s definitely something that I’ve thought about.”
