QB Brandon Dawkins Taking Break from Football for Mental Health

Former Arizona Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Brandon Dawkins announced Wednesday he is taking a break from football to focus on his mental health.

Dawkins wrote on Instagram:

"The most important thing to me though has been the joy that the game always brought me. Over the last couple years I lost touch with that joy. I respect and love the game, but I have lost touch with it. I am not too proud to admit that I needed help. I am grateful for the sports psychology team at both Arizona and Indiana for helping me at some of the lowest points in my life. The game has [been] getting me depressed and hurting my well-being.

"As my mental health is deteriorating I have decided to take a break from the game. I know now that I need to take care of ME. I need to make myself important. I have not properly taken care of myself. Do I know what's next? Of course not, but I do know God has a plan that is way bigger than any plans I could ever imagine for myself. I hope you can respect my privacy during this time, and my decision."

Dawkins transferred from Arizona to Indiana after the 2017 season. However, sophomore Peyton Ramsey beat him out for the Hoosiers' starting gig.

On Monday, head coach Tom Allen announced Dawkins was leaving the program to go "in a different direction with his life," according to the Indiana Daily Student's Murphy Wheeler.

"We wish him nothing but the very best. He's a fine young man," Allen said. "I'm very excited about the two guys that we consider our top two quarterbacks and the work that they've done since they've been here throughout fall camp. They've done a tremendous job competing against each other and really doing a great job of putting themselves in position to win the confidence of their teammates and coaches."

During his three years at Arizona, Dawkins completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 2,418 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,582 yards and 20 scores between 2015 and 2017.