UCLA’s Martell Irby Retires From Football, Details Mental Health Struggles


UCLA's Martell Irby Retires From Football, Details Mental Health Struggles

After four seasons in Westwood, one Bruin is taking a step back and leaving the game behind.

Martell Irby joined UCLA football as a young running back from San Diego in 2018, and he eventually moved to defensive back in 2021. One year later, though, Irby has decided to retire from football, he announced on social media via a song he released Saturday night titled “This Is Goodbye.”

Before graduating from Morse High School (CA), Irby attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, where he was part of the school’s award-winning jazz ensemble. The SoCal native has been playing the saxophone since the fourth grade and producing his own music for years, so there aren’t too many other football players who could have announced their retirement the way Irby did.

Irby appeared in all 12 of UCLA’s games in 2021, accumulating 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one blocked punt. As a running back, Irby played played in another 20 games, racking up 221 yards and one touchdown on 55 carries in addition to 108 receiving yards on 13 catches for his career.




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