Washington Football: Isaiah Renfro leaves Huskies to battle depression

Washington Huskies receiver Isaiah Renfro leaving school to continue his recovery from depression and anxiety.

Isaiah Renfro is walking away from playing football for the Washington Huskies so he can continue to battle his depression and anxiety. Washington coach Chris Petersen cited Renfro’s absence from spring practice as “personal reasons” and now we know exactly what those personal reasons are that will keep Renfro off the football field.

Renfro posted a lengthy note on his twitter account on Sunday night to explain his thought process before deciding that he will no longer play football for the Huskies or be a student at Washington.

Renfro says he was in the hospital receiving treatment during spring practices after he lost the love for the game.

“Waking up in the morning got harder and harder, till it got to the point where I didn’t want to wake up at all,” he wrote.

The treatment did him well to take him out of the dark place.

“I have a better outlook on life, I’m more and more happy each day I wake up because I’m able to wake up. I feel that for me to continue my process of getting healthy again I need to step away from the game of football. … I want to thank Coach Pete, Coach Bush and all the rest of the coaches and staff, for the opportunity and for the continued support,” he wrote.

Hopefully, there will be a happy ending for Renfro and it sounds like there will be, it just won’t include him playing for the Huskies. “This isn’t the end of me, just the end of a certain chapter. I will conquer this, and not let this situation conquer me. I’m on a journey to find my happiness again,” he wrote.

“This isn’t the end of me, just the end of a certain chapter. I will conquer this, and not let this situation conquer me. I’m on a journey to find my happiness again,” he wrote.

Renfro caught 13 passes for 178 yards in his one season with the team.

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