It seems that Jordan Hoiem’s career as a student athlete at the University of Oregon is over before it even begins. Hoiem, a 2014 verbal commitment, announced Monday that he is quitting football all together due to the loss of a close friend and the immense pressure he played with as a junior at Baldwin High School.

“I don’t know whether it was the pressure or the attention or spotlight but my whole junior season I was just miserable playing football,” Hoiem told the Oregonian. “Not even just football, just life period. I did it because I knew I wanted to set myself up for the future but I didn’t really love the game. I thought once I committed all this would go away.”

Hoiem, who was ranked as the 11th best outside linebacker prospect in the 2014 class by Rivals.com, told the Oregonian that after he picked up his first major scholarship offer football turned from a simple game to something much more pressurized. His love for the game had suddenly disappeared.

“I know it’s going to attract negative attention but it’s something people won’t understand,” Hoiem said. “People won’t accept it, but I had to do it because it was something I really didn’t enjoy.”

Hoiem has attempted to make contact with Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti through Facebook and telephone, but has yet to have success doing so. While not totally ruling out a future in football, Hoiem didn’t want to hinder the Ducks recruiting plans by taking a scholarship for a game he no longer fully invested himself in.

“I didn’t want to put Oregon in that situation when they’re investing in me,” Hoiem said.