Torii Hunter Jr. gave college football a try. Now the Notre Dame receiver will try to follow in his father's career path by playing baseball.
Hunter, the son of former Twins, Angels and Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter, announced Thursday he will forgo his final year of football eligibility to pursue a baseball career. The Angels drafted Hunter in the 23rd round in June.
He batted .182 in 11 at-bats and appeared in 19 games for the Irish baseball team, which used him mainly as a pinch runner.
Hunter, selected as a football captain this season, was plagued by injuries throughout his career, including a concussion he suffered during the 2016 opener. He also had a knee injury and played in just eight games this year, catching 38 passes for 531 yards and three touchdowns.
He finished with 73 receptions for 949 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
"It's hard to believe that my time at Notre Dame has come to an end," Hunter said on Twitter. "This university has provided me all the necessary tools ... to transition smoothly into the next phase of my life."
Hunter was expected to play a key role in the offense this season, but he suffered the concussion on a touchdown reception against Texas, a play that appeared to be targeting but wasn't called. He returned after sitting out one game but injured his knee against Navy, a career-best 104-yard day that turned out to be his last appearance in a Notre Dame uniform.
