Former Penn State Nittany Lion Adam Breneman gives up NFL dream again

From the time he was junior high school, Adam Breneman dreamed of being a tight end in the NFL.

And he always, somehow, seemed like he would make it work.

That was until the left knee that ended his career at Penn State two years ago finally derailed him for good.

The Penn State and Cedar Cliff High grad announced his football retirement Tuesday in a letter emailed to media members and posted on social media.

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Later, Breneman talked in detail about his decision, his last five up-and-down years and his future.

The former York County resident said he's known for about a month that his career appeared doomed. But he still wanted to exhaust every worthy medical opinion and treatment. He said he consulted with renowned Florida orthopedic surgeon James Andrews and Pittsburgh Steelers team surgeon and former Penn State player Jim Bradley. 

"I'll say this, 'I don’t know if there's any player in college football who had a more interesting college career than I had. There hasn't been any other program or recruiting class in the history of college football that had to deal with what we dealt with (at Penn State after NCAA sanctions). Then my injuries, leaving Penn State, being a campaign manager and thinking I'm going to be drafted ..."

Breneman did appear on the path to pro football before a knee injury forced him away from the sport in January of 2016. What he described as a "complicated surgery" two seasons earlier could not alleviate significant pain when he practiced and played.

While briefly working in politics — and away from the pounding of football workouts — his knee began to feel significantly better, almost miraculously so. He enrolled at UMass in the summer of 2017 to pursue a graduate degree in business and play football again with his high school quarterback.

He enjoyed two stunning pass-catching seasons for the Minutemen, achieving All-America status. But this past season was an unpublicized struggle.

In 2016, the Cedar Cliff graduate led all FBS tight ends with 70 receptions and tied for second in touchdowns (eight) and receiving yards (808). Despite constant pain, he nearly duplicated those numbers last fall.

"This past season things began to deteriorate quickly. Even though I enjoyed on-field success, I knew my knee was getting rapidly worse with every game I played," Breneman wrote in his retirement letter. "The consistent dream of playing in the NFL was my motivation to push through the pain. I knew what was happening, but I was afraid to accept it and be disappointed yet again."

He hoped that resting after the regular season would help him recover enough. He said it didn't. As he began preparing for the NFL Draft with daily workouts at Spooky Nook Sports complex in Manheim, he realized he couldn't push on.

He at least feels satisfied now.

After leaving Penn State "I felt like I had unfinished business. I knew I was good enough to play at the highest level and felt labled as almost a bust. There were such high expectations. That wore on me mentally as a competitor, always thinking of what you could have been. I feel like I've erased a lot of that doubt. ...  I left no stone unturned. I gave everything I had for this game at UMass. I'm at a much better place mentally."

Breneman, 22, thanked his supporters across Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and said he looks forward to whatever comes next. He and quarterback Christian Hackenberg will long be remembered as the high-profile recruits who pushed Penn State's football recovery after NCAA sanctions in 2012. 

Breneman also missed his senior season of football at Cedar Cliff after tearing an ACL.

"For as much as football has challenged me emotionally and physically, I would not change a single thing," he wrote. "My journey is my story, and I’ve learned to be very proud of it."

Soon after his announcement well-wishes and congratulations began popping up on Twitter. 

His brother Grant, a quarterback at Colgate, said this:

"So proud of my big brother and how he’s handled adversity in his life. Its been difficult to watch you play the last few years while knowing how much pain you were in. You emptied the tank for your dream to play in the NFL and thats all you can do. You just came up one knee short."

Breneman looked after former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki when he arrived at college and helped him through a difficult sophomore season. Now, Gesicki may be a first-round draft choice.

"He might have been more upset than I was hearing the news," Breneman said with a laugh.

Gesicki tweeted this Tuesday:

"Love you like a brother AB. You and I both know that you're going to be successful in so many ways throughout the rest of your life with or without football. THANK YOU for everything you have done for me man. Whatever is next for you I know you’ll be great." 

Breneman said his bad knee is not interfering with daily life, though he does expect to undergo knee replacement surgery at some point in years to come.

For now, he's unsure of his immediate job future, saying he is weighing a few options but failed to disclose details. He could see himself in business, back in politics or even coaching.

He did serve as campaign manager for Republican Mike Regan during the 2016 state senate election.

"I think I'd enjoy it. I think I'd be good at it," Breneman said of coaching. I'm not opposed to it, I'll tell you that."

Certainly, the options seem plentiful for someone who has experienced more than most college athletes.

"Football is what I did and not who I was," he said. "There are a lot of other things I want to do in life than play football. I'll be alright. I know football has prepared me to tackle whatever I have to in the working world."