Karl Joseph, an All-American safety for the West Virginia Mountaineers, is out for the season after a knee injury suffered while participating in a non-contact drill during practice.
Joseph has been a fan favorite among the Mountaineer faithful as he is known for being possibly the hardest hitter in all of college football.
Just ask DeDe Westbrook after he received this brutal, earth-shattering hit that was delivered by none other than Karl Joseph himself:
"He exemplifies what it means to be a Mountaineer." Dana Holgorsen said as a response to Joseph's end as a Mountaineer. "Karl is an All-American, a fierce competitor, a leader and I know he'll have a full recovery. I can't wait to watch him on Sunday's next fall."
"I want to thank my teammates and my coaches for their outpouring of support," Joseph said. "This has been difficult for me and my family, but I know I will come through this stronger than ever. I will forever be a Mountaineer and will be cheering on our team every step of the way."
Here are Karl Joseph's stats during his fantastic career at West Virginia University:
Games Played - 41
Tackles - 205
Interceptions - eight (five of them this year)
Tackles For Loss - 15.5
Sacks - one
Forced Fumbles - eight
Karl Joseph, who has five interceptions with three of those against Georgia Southern alone, is almost a guarantee to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft next April. He leaves the West Virginia Mountaineers as one of the greatest defensive players in the program's history and one of the hardest hitting players in college football history.
It's a shame that Joseph had to endure this injury in his senior as he decided to come back to West Virginia instead of enter the NFL Draft after last season. This could hurt his draft stock initially, but with a speedy recovering there is no doubt he will be a high draft pick and suiting up on Sundays.
West Virginia University hosts Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State next Saturday in an important matchup for both teams.