Multiple concussions end Charlotte 49ers’ Bernard Sullivan’s basketball career

Charlotte 49ers senior forward Bernard Sullivan is ending his college basketball career after a series of concussions.

Sullivan, a 6-foot-8 Gastonia native who played at North Mecklenburg High and Davidson Day, was averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds this season for the 49ers. But after being hit in the head Dec. 19 against Appalachian State, he missed seven consecutive games with concussion symptoms.

“This has been a really tough decision for Bernard,” 49ers coach Mark Price said in a statement. “After meeting with me and our medical staff, he felt that this was the right decision for him and his future, and we certainly support him. We believe the overall health and well-being of our players comes first before basketball. We want to thank him for his contributions to the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball program.”

Sullivan transferred to Charlotte from Clemson in 2013. After sitting out a year because of NCAA transfer rules, he missed the first 19 games of the 2014-15 season after suffering a head injury in the preseason, his fourth since high school. He played in Charlotte’s final 13 games, averaging 4.8 points and 2.7 rebounds.

Sullivan also suffered a concussion at least one other time while at Clemson.

Davidson junior forward Jake Belford announced this month that he would end his career because of multiple concussions. Wildcats guard Brian Sullivan missed two games recently with concussion symptoms.

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Multiple concussions end Charlotte 49ers’ Bernard Sullivan’s basketball career."