—An InForum online headline on Aug. 1, 2024: "Bison wide receiver Carson Hegerle retires from football."

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — That headline was sure to grab any North Dakota State football fan's attention.

But for Carson Hegerle, it reflected how he felt at the time after sending out a social media message that he was stepping away from football and "closing one chapter in his life." What he didn't know at the time was that he wasn't completely done with the sport he grew up starring in at West Fargo High School.

"At that time, I was going through some mental health issues," Hegerle said. "I had a lot of injuries — that was a big part of it. I had decided that football wasn't for me anymore. I didn't love it as much as I used to. That's why I decided to let it go."

Hegerle was hi

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