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Oregon DL Sam Kamp won't return for fifth season

Oregon defensive lineman Sam Kamp won’t return to the field for his fifth season in 2015.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Kamp recently finished his redshirt junior season with the Ducks and had one more season of eligibility remaining, but he announced Tuesday night that he’s moving on. He also confirmed the decision in a text message to The Oregonian.

“I'm incredibly blessed to have made so many amazing memories playing for this team. I'm so grateful to God, to my loving family and close friends, to my coaches, trainers and support staff who together are better than any other program in the nation, and especially to my teammates who I've spent a seriously ridiculous amount of hours grinding with,” Kamp wrote on his Instagram account.

“This season has been a once in a lifetime experience and even though we didn't finish with a win, it was an unforgettable finish to my athletic career. I'll graduate this spring as a proud University of Oregon double major and I can't wait to find out what opportunities I can take advantage of in the future!"

Kamp was a regular contributor on the second unit of the Ducks’ defense in 2014 as he registered 20 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack while appearing in all 15 of the team’s games.

He told The Oregonian that his decision to move on stemmed from concerns about his health moving forward in his life. He finished his career at nearly 300 pounds after bulking up last offseason. He says he's already down to 270 pounds.

"I've seen a lot of teammates and heard a lot of stories about guys who have graduated, o-linemen and d-linemen especially, who've had issues with their weight and oftentimes they don't get that off in their later years," said Kamp, adding head coach Mark Helfrich and defensive line coach Ron Aiken understood his choice and were supportive. "They have issues with the bones in their knees, hips, neck, back and I was starting to feel a lot of those problems for myself. I made the call that I've graduated and I didn't think the NFL was taking much interest into me. It was a purely business, life decision, just to move on for my own sake and my future family's sake."

In 2013, Kamp played in 10 games and had nine tackles and in 2012 Kamp played in eight games and notches five tackles.

Kamp, a native of Mesa, Ariz., was a three-star recruit in Oregon’s 2011 class.

For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!