Former Oregon quarterback Nate Costa announced via Twitter on Thursday that he would resign from his position at the Springfield Police Department, citing recurring knee problems as the cause.
Costa, 23, came to the decision after sustaining a minor injury while completing a training obstacle course back on Aug. 22, his first day at the police academy after being sworn in back in July.
“Landed awkwardly on my right knee, which was the one that had been injured in football before,” Costa said. “Didn’t feel right, but it wasn’t anything catastrophic.”
He visited a doctor, who recommended that he take some time away from the academy to heal. During that time, however, Costa began to question whether law enforcement was the right path for him. The doctor told him that a career as a police officer would wear on his already damaged knees, and could potentially cause long term problems down the road.
Costa talked to his family, and came to the decision that it simply wasn’t worth it.
“(I) came to the conclusion that if I wanted to be able to walk normally when I’m older, which is what I would like to do, law enforcement probably wasn’t going to be a good career for me, ” Costa said. “Just because of the stress it puts on your knees.”
For now, Costa will transition into broadcasting full time. He has already worked on the Comcast show Talkin’ Ducks for two weeks, and though it may not have been his first choice, he sees it as a potential career.
“I didn’t leave being a cop to do broadcasting,” Costa said. “That’s definitely not what happened.
“But I’ve been doing that for some time, and I might continue to do that, just because it’s kind of my second job. And now it’s my first job, because I don’t have another job.”
With his easygoing nature and immense knowledge of the game, the transition has been easy for Costa.
“It’s fun, it’s pretty easy for me to do,” Costa said. “Just because I know a lot about the team, I know a lot about the game.”
Should he tire of that world, Costa may also pursue a role in the business world.
“Maybe something related to sports business,” Costa said. “I just like the competitive nature of business and kind of the team atmosphere.”
Costa, who graduated from Oregon last year with a degree in sociology, was Oregon’s backup quarterback in 2010 and played in nine games before sustaining a season-ending knee injury.