Washington WR Isaiah Renfro quits football to deal with depression

Washington Huskies wide receiver Isaiah Renfro is walking away from football while he copes with depression and anxiety.

Renfro, who finished last season with 13 catches and 178 yards in 13 games as a true freshman, made the announcement Sunday in a lengthy statement on Twitter.

"Before anything I want to thank the doctors and my close friends for getting out of a dark place before it was too late," Renfro wrote. "This year has to be one of the toughest times I've had to endure in my life. While going through this year I have struggled with and have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Everyday it's very hard for me to just do a simple thing like get myself out of bed in the morning. This entire year I pushed through and gave it my all, till I had none left.

"I hate failure so I felt like I'd be cheating myself by quitting. But I started to see myself changing... I wasn't the same, I lost love for the game I've been playing ever since I could walk, and it seemed more like a job to me than fun. 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. I missed spring practice because I was checked in the hospital. I was in a special program for people like me, that taught me how to cope with my problems and what to do when I hit my lowest of lows. I didn't know how bad I got until it was almost too late. But coming out of the hospital, 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 will no longer be playing football and will no longer be attending UW. I want to thank Coach Pete, Coach Bush and all the rest of the coaches and staff, for the opportunity and continued support. I also want to thank my teammates for allowing me to be a part of the brotherhood that is the football team. And for all the dawg fans out there for making me feel like I was worth something every time I put on that jersey and stepped on the field. 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."

The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Renfro from Los Angeles didn't participate in the Huskies' spring camp for what coach Chris Peterson called "personal issues." Renfro was a four-star recruit coming out of high school.

The Huskies finished with a 7-6 record last season.