Austin Hatch, the University of Michigan basketball player who survived two plane crashes, has decided to step away from the sport.
Hatch has taken a medical exemption, which allows him to keep his scholarship and serve as a student assistant for the team.
"It's something that never goes. It's something that's going to be with me the rest of my life," Hatch said after signing with the University of Michigan.
In 2003, Hatch was in a plane crash that killed his mother, brother and sister. Then in 2011 he spent eight weeks in a coma after being in a second crash that took the life of his father and step mother. His father was the pilot in both instances.
"Surviving two airplane crashes, either luck is on your side or there is some kind of divine intervention on your side," Hatch said on the "Today" show.
Hatch says his playing abilities haven't been the same since suffering a traumatic brain injury from the second crash, and he wants to be able to focus more of his energy on his education.
He told ESPN: "It's obvious I'm not going to be a professional basketball player. But after I graduate from Michigan, I am going to be a professional at something, and this allows me to concentrate on my studies but also stay involved with the team."
The 6-foot-6-inch guard played a total of five minutes over five games last season.
This video includes images from Getty Images.
