Clemson defensive end Richard Yeargin is stepping away from football, a Clemson official confirmed to The Clemson Insider Thursday night.

Yeargin informed head coach Dabo Swinney and other coaches about his decision to retire from football earlier this week, citing injuries as reasons for stepping away from the game.

During the second week of fall camp, Swinney reported Yeargin was out of practice with a stinger in his shoulder and was checking with his doctor to make sure everything was okay. At the time Swinney believed it was not related to the neck injury he suffered last June in a one-car traffic accident at I-385 and Woodruff Road in Greenville, S.C.

Yeargin broke his neck in the accident. The accident forced Yeargin to miss all of last season to allow his neck to fully heal. He was hopeful to return this year to the playing field and came into fall camp cleared to play. However, the latest injury has forced the senior to give up football permanently.

In all, Yeargin played in 22 games at Clemson after being redshirted in 2014. He recorded 29 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack.