Georgia Tech captain Kyle Efford medically retires but stays on as player-coach

Georgia Tech captain and linebacker Kyle Efford announced his medical retirement from football on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. He finishes with 250 career tackles after leading the Yellow Jackets in tackles for three straight seasons and will remain with the team as captain through the 2026 season. Efford aggravated his surgically repaired shoulder in Week 2 against Tennessee, missed two games, then returned in Georgia Tech's 28-25 win over Duke before the announcement. In a statement, Efford said his body has taken more damage than he can continue to ignore and that he must think about the life he has ahead. "This isn't how I imagined my football career coming to an end, but I am at peace. I can say with complete confidence that I gave this game every single piece of me. There is nothing left in the tank, and there are no regrets in my heart." CONTESTED: Fox News reports he will serve as captain and player-coach; ESPN says he is staying on as captain. The wire lists 27 tackles in three games and six against Duke; Yahoo cites 27 tackles and one sack this season; Bleacher Report notes a tackle for loss in the Duke win and renders his quote as giving "everything that I had in me." Georgia Tech is 2-3.