LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville defensive end Deantwan "Peanut" Whitehead's football career has ended due to a spinal condition that showed up after an injury in last week's loss to West Virginia.
Whitehead was diagnosed Thursday with congenital cervical spinal stenosis after seeing a specialist in Indianapolis, the school said. He was injured on a tackle early in the 38-31 loss to West Virginia on Nov. 8.
The condition is a narrowing of the spinal column around the spinal cord, the same problem that ended the career of teammate Mike Donoghue, an offensive lineman, last month.
Whitehead, a 6-foot-6, 250-pounder from Birmingham, Ala., had 25 tackles and two sacks in nine games for the Cardinals this season. He played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season and recorded 16 tackles and four sacks.
Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or
distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The
Associated Press is strictly prohibited.