On Monday, Clemson graduate defensive end Armon Mason used his social media platform to officially announce his retirement from football.
After battling a lingering leg injury, head coach Dabo Swinney confirmed last week that Mason would be medically stepping away from football and would be taking a medical hardship.
A medical hardship means he will be allowed to keep his scholarship and can finish out the season with the team, but he will no longer play football.
Mason, a sixth-year veteran, posted the following message via Instagram on Monday, formally announcing his retirement:
Recently, I had to make one of the harder decisions in my life to medically retire from football. A lot of ups and downs, specifically the last almost three years with my playing health. I convinced myself I could outrun it but my body and mind finally caught up to me. Over these years I got to do what I loved with people, I didn’t know at 17, were going to become brothers for life. These past years have shown me who is with me through all the ups and downs of life and I cannot thank yall enough for being in my corner. Thank you God. Thank you for the good, the lessons learned, and the opportunity for the love and joy of it all. 🧡💜🐅
After missing the entire 2025 season due to injury, Mason only appeared in the first two games this season, playing 19 combined snaps. He recorded one tackle in the season opener at LSU.
After initially committing to Mississippi Valley State, Mason elected to join Clemson as a walk-on in 2021, before eventually being placed on scholarship. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder entered the 2026 season credited with eight tackles (2.5 for loss) in 94 career snaps over 15 games.
In his first year at Clemson, Mason contributed on the scout team while redshirting. He then posted one tackle while appearing in six games in 2022, before not playing in 2023 while rehabbing from a season-long injury. He returned in 2024, when he logged seven tackles (2.5 for loss) in 93 defensive snaps over nine games.
Mason finished his prep career at Richmond Hill (Ga.) High School. He is cousins with longtime NFL defensive tackle and former Clemson standout Grady Jarrett, and the son of former NBA All-Star and the late Anthony Mason, whose 13-year NBA career included stints with the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.
“You talk about an amazing kid,” Swinney said of Armon last Wednesday, “and really proud of his effort that he put in. Because he’s been hurt for a couple years. And again, the fact that he was even able to get back and be available – I’m happy for him, because he did get to play some and he got a chance to get back out there. But unfortunately, this game, sometimes that’s how it goes.”