MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee Head Football Coach Rick Stockstill announced today that linebacker Jonathan Bonner would not be returning to the field in 2006 due to medical reasons. Bonner will be under a medical scholarship for the remainder of his collegiate eligibility.
"Our main concern right now is for Jonathan's health," said Stockstill. "It is always difficult when you lose a senior leader, but he will still be a part of our team. Jonathan has aspirations of being a coach one day and he will help our staff throughout the season as a student assistant coach."
Bonner started the first eight games of the 2005 season before suffering an injury to his neck against Louisiana-Monroe and missed the rest of the year. The Birmingham, Ala., native finished with 46 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and one interception.
Bonner, who missed the last 10 games of the 2004 season with the same injury, played in 33 career games and earned 17 starts.
In another development, rising sophomore Bryant House has been granted his release from the team by Stockstill. House played in eight games as a true freshman last year, but most of his time came on special teams.