ISU linebacker Luke Knott will forgo his senior year of eligibility on the football team, Iowa State announced Friday. 

Knott cited multiple hip surgeries and a job he has lined up in the spring as the two main reasons. Knott played three seasons with the Cyclones after redshirting his freshman season, racking up 140 tackles, which made him the active leader in tackles on the team.  

In the 2015 season, Knott said he was playing hurt. He had 21 tackles and a sack. 

“I barely made it through last season,” Knott said in a statement. “You can tell when you watch the film. This is an exciting time for Iowa State and I wanted to be a part something special next year. However, going through the initial workouts, I just didn’t have it in my hip. It’s time start a different career.”

Knott, little brother of former Cyclone and NFL linebacker Jake Knott, was a highly touted defensive back coming out of high school. In his redshirt freshman season, he had 45 tackles in only six games before one of his three hip surgeries sidelined him for the rest of the year. 

“I don’t know if anybody loves Iowa State football more than Luke Knott,” said ISU coach Matt Campbell in a statement. “You just want to put your arms around a kid like Luke, because here is a guy who was straining and doing everything in his power to play, but his body wouldn’t allow him to play anymore.” 

Campbell also hoped that Knott would stick around the program, calling him “a special young man.” 

Knott’s job is in Kansas City and his decision comes after he had been worrying about his long-term future. 

“I told Coach Campbell that the hardest thing for me was to walk away now when I feel we are on the cusp of something great,” Knott said in the statement. “ I want to be able to run around with my kids, and something like that puts it in perspective.”