Cardinals undrafted FB Ramesh retires, team signs RB Badie

Arizona Cardinals undrafted rookie fullback Austin Ramesh announced on his Instagram page that he will step away from football due to the effects of head injuries suffered over the last couple of years.

The team announced that he is no longer on the roster Friday and added that it had signed running back Sherman Badie.

Badie tried out for Arizona at the rookie mini-camp in April. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound rookie out of Tulane scored nine touchdowns and gained 1,517 rushing yards on 5.1 yards per carry in four years of college.

Ramesh, a Wisconsin product, accumulated 140 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go with 103 receiving yards off 10 catches in his four-year college career.

“Recently I have made the decision to step away from football,” the post read. “Throughout the last couple years, I have been dealing with some of the negative effects of head injuries. After a lot of thought and conversation, I know that it is in my best interest to hang up the pads. I am grateful for the opportunities football has given me and the people I have met along the way, but I look forward to a healthy and successful future without it.”

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Michael Gehlken, who initially reported Ramesh’s decision, added that the Oakland Raiders viewed the rookie as one of the top fullback prospects.

Ramesh was considered a potentially impactful undrafted rookie for the Cardinals, who under first-year head coach Steve Wilks and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy committed to playing fullbacks starting in 2018.

Ramesh would likely have been playing behind free agent addition Derrick Coleman. Arizona currently has no other fullbacks listed on the roster after Coleman.

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