Former SEC Athlete Announces Retirement Days After His 2nd Big Ten Game

Football can be brutal, especially when the setbacks refuse to stop. Nebraska defensive lineman Mac Markway saw his final two seasons derailed by consecutive ACL injuries, and the toll has now ended his journey in the sport. Markway has announced his retirement from football just one game after playing a Big Ten game for the first time in two years.

“Football has been a big part of my life and has made me and molded me into the man I am today,” read an excerpt of Markway’s statement on Instagram. “I couldn’t be more blessed with the people I have met along the way and the relationships I have built. From playing at LSU as a freshman to coming to Nebraska and betting on myself. I completed my story by getting back on the field after 5 career-ending injuries. I gave my all to this sport that I love and is in my blood and to all my teammates and coaches.”

Back in 2024, Nebraska landed Markway, a former four-star LSU recruit, and had high hopes for the young tight end, who started one game for LSU as a true freshman and was expected to become a key piece of the Cornhuskers’ offense.

However, a knee injury in September 2024 forced him to redshirt. His bad luck continued in 2025, as he suffered another season-ending injury during fall camp, keeping him on the sidelines for another season. After the season, he switched from TE to the defensive line.

The back-to-back injuries had already left him questioning his future as an athlete, but despite it all, he played through the adversity. And on September 5, in his second Big Ten game ever, two years after his debut in the 2024-25 season, he logged six snaps against Ohio in his new role on Nebraska’s defensive line.

Just two days earlier, head coach Matt Rhule mentioned that he envisioned Markway getting more snaps going forward. But Markway understood that his time to hang up his boots had come.

“The reality is my knees just aren’t what they used to be and aren’t letting me play at the level I want to,” Markway further wrote on IG. “I got a huge weight and stress off my shoulders with this decision, and I’m truly at peace with it.”

Despite missing the last two seasons due to injuries, Markway remained a big part of the team, with Matt Rhule strongly believing in his importance to the program.

Mac Markway May Be Done, but He’ll Always Be a Star at Nebraska

In July 2025, head coach Matt Rhule praised Mac Markway’s tenacity, calling him an “unbelievable human” and applauding the way he carried himself through difficult times.

“Heartbreaking news,” Rhule said when announcing Markway’s 2025 ACL injury. “He’s an unbelievable human; I feel terrible for him. I was really excited for what I knew he was about to do, but I know the human he is and I’m excited for what he does next.”

When he returned this season, the head coach was excited to see him back in action and even clarified earlier this week during an interaction with the media that Markway would receive more snaps in the coming games.

“Mac Markway, coming off of three torn ACLs and been here for two years, hasn’t played,” Rhule said. “His role will, I think, significantly be amplified each week. I think you’ll see him continue to move forward.”

Markway may have ended his stint with the Huskers as a player, but he isn’t departing the team. At the end of his IG announcement, he promised to remain a part of Nebraska football from the sidelines in “another aspect of football.”

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