A Tale of Sadness and Hope: USC's Frankie Telfort to Quit Football

It is with much sadness that I find myself writing this article.

When I found Bleacher Report, my first article as a writer featured Frankie Telfort, the 2008 athletically gifted linebacker from Gulliver Prep School in Miami, Fla.

This piece, titled "Trojan Linebacker Recruit More than Just a Highlight Film," reflected on the athletic prowess of the No. 8 linebacker by Scouts Inc., as well as his high character and focus on life after football.

The emphasis I placed on young Mr. Telfort's character was a observation that I felt illustrated his correct priorities concerning life both in and after football.

Today, those qualities have been brought to the forefront, as news was released that a heart condition has forced Frankie from the game he loves.

The condition, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, affects roughly one in every 500 people and is the leading cause of heart related death among people under 30 years of age.

Many athletes have died of this disease, including Hank Gathers, Boston Celtic forward Reggie Lewis, and former Portland Trail Blazers center Kevin Duckworth.

Recently, Cuttino Mobley of the Clippers was forced to retire due to the condition.

USC has already released a statement that they will honor Telfort's full scholarship.

Coach Pete Carroll released a statement that said in part that football ends for everyone, and Telfort's ending just came sooner. He went on to say that Telfort will always be a football player and he will always be a Trojan.

Telfort was a fabulous football player with tremendous upside. Although he was small for a linebacker, he was extremely fast, clocking a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. He was also a tremendous hitter who regularly delivered highlight film-worthy blows.

After outlining Telfort's tremendous athletic ability in this article, I concluded the piece this way:

"Yet, it was another component of Frankie Telfort that impressed me as much as his football ability. When asked what he hoped to accomplish with his career at USC, Telfort did not hesitate an instant to answer: 'get a great education.' All of the answers he gave to the myriad of questions tossed at him reflected a young man whose priorities lie far beyond football. After the chat with Frankie Telfort concluded, I don’t think there was anyone who would doubt that Frankie Telfort would be a success in whatever endeavor he chooses to pursue."

After today's disheartening news about Telfort and his heart condition, I am more certain than ever that he will succeed in whatever he chooses to do.