After attempting a comeback to the NFL, former North Carolina A&T star running back Tarik Cohen has announced his retirement from the game.
Cohen made a name for himself playing for the Aggies, leading the team to two MEAC championships and a win in the first Celebration Bowl in 2015.
In addition to winning three straight MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Awards (the only player ever to do so), the Aggies’ running back was also named the first recipient of the Deacon Jones trophy in 2016, which is awarded to the top player in Black College Football.
Cohen embarked on a career in the pros in 2017, being selected in the fourth round of that year’s NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
Sources: Former Bears’ RB Tarik Cohen, who was attempting to come back from assorted knee injuries throughout his NFL career, informed the Jets today that he is retiring from football, effectively immediately. At his peak, Cohen was one of the NFL’s most explosive players. pic.twitter.com/RDvVRDU2xg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2024
In his first two seasons in the NFL, Cohen produced 3,177 all-purpose yards and scored 12 total touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl and was selected to the All-Pro First Team as a punt returner in his second season.
Cohen’s career changed in Week 3 of the 2020 season when he tore his ACL and MCL in a game against the Atlanta Falcons.
After missing the 2021 season to recover from the injury, he then tore his Achilles during a workout, forcing him to sit out another year.
Though Cohen would attempt to come back, signing on the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad and most recently signing with the New York Jets, he never got another chance to get back on the field.
