Nebraska linebacker Sean Fisher Monday announced in a statement that he wouldn’t pursue a sixth year of eligibility in football. He’ll instead enroll in medical school next fall.

“The opportunity to be part of this football program the past five years has been a great experience and one that is difficult to walk away from, but I made the determination it was time to move on,” Fisher said in a statement. “I am planning to enroll in medical school in the fall and am putting all my energy toward preparing for that. I appreciate Coach (Bo) Pelini and the coaching staff leaving the door open for me to consider returning to football and giving me the time to finalize my decision.”

NU wanted 6-foot-6, 230-pound Fisher — who finished with 48 tackles in 2012 — to come back in 2013, in part to lead a new, young crop of linebackers. Fisher missed the 2008 and 2010 seasons with injuries. The 2010 setback — a broken leg that included several torn tendons — was particularly tough, as Fisher had been excelling in camp.

But he returned for 2011 and 2012, maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point average throughout his football career. He had a double major in pre-medicine and business administration and was named an Academic All-American this year.