An Iowa linebacker has made the difficult decision to step away from the game of football.

Hawkeye Nation is reporting that Djimon Colbert has come to the conclusion to retire from football. The linebacker opted out of playing the 2020 season due to the uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Colbert told Hawkeye Nation that he was “at peace” with the decision.

“I don’t know if I can exactly put it into words,” Colbert told Hawkeye Nation. “I just had a lot of conflicting feelings. If football was really something that I wanted to pursue, I feel like I wouldn’t have those feelings pulling me back and forth.”

Colbert was a two-year starter for Iowa on the defensive side of the football. During the 2019 season, the linebacker picked up 61 stops, 4 pass break ups, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception while making starts in all 13 games. The Hawkeyes ended the season with a 10-3 record.

As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Colbert was a 10-game starter for the Hawkeyes, responsible for 52 tackles and a pass break-up.

Colbert told Hawkeye Nation that he could see himself staying involved in some aspect of the game of football, as he still has serious interest in the sport. But, for now, he feels that stepping away is the best decision.