Steve Elmer decides to retire from football

Steve Elmer will no longer play football. The rising senior and 30-game starter for the Irish along the offensive line has decided to move on from the sport, set to earn his degree in May, just three-and-a-half years after he enrolled early as a freshman during spring semester.

Elmer took to UND.com to pen a letter to Irish fans, explaining why he was ready to move on and pursue his professional future away from the gridiron. Head coach Brian Kelly praised Elmer, pointing to the three-year starter as the type of student-athlete that makes Notre Dame special.

“Notre Dame is a special place that develops unique and talented people. Steve Elmer is such a person,” Kelly said in a statement. “He chose Notre Dame to earn a degree from the top University in the world and play football at the highest level. He’s accomplished both and so much more.

“This is an incredible professional opportunity for Steve. We as a coaching staff talk about how attending Notre Dame isn’t a four-year decision; rather it’s a 40-year investment into your life. This University provides so many different avenues toward success, whether that’s on the football field or in the boardroom, and Steve’s another outstanding example.”

Elmer will move to Washington, D.C. this summer, putting to use a degree in economics and a grade point average that currently sits at 3.52. Elmer spent last summer interning for Michigan congressman John Moolenaar and Pennsylvania congressman Mike Kelly.

 

	Steven Elmer @Steve_Elmer
After 3 unforgettable years, I've decided to forgo my final season of athletic eligibility. I'll always be Irish!und.com/sports/m-footb… 9:01 AM - 16 Feb 2016

The timing of the decision is certainly surprising. With a year left of eligibility and a starting job all but assured, Elmer wrote candidly about the decision in front of him, acknowledging that he was ready to move on to the next chapter of his life.

“No matter how excited I am about what the future has in store for me, the question that inevitably comes up is: why don’t you just wait until next year? My answer is pretty simple; the excitement I feel about the professional opportunity in front of me has helped me to realize that I’m just ready to be done with football. I’ve been playing this game for many years, and quite honestly my heart is no longer in it. I realize that this may be considered sacrilege to some, but it’s truth. What I do love, and where my heart will always be, is the University of Notre Dame.”

The Irish will need to replace three starters along the offensive line, with Elmer’s right guard spot now vacant, joining departing center Nick Martin and left tackle Ronnie Stanley.