CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) offensive lineman Thyago Alvarez, one of the featured players in Season 3 of the HBCU Gameday Original Series Brick x Brick with JCSU Football, has announced his medical retirement from football following another Achilles injury.
The decision comes just halfway through his first season with the Golden Bulls — and serves as a stark illustration of the precarious reality of college football, where dreams can be upended in an instant.
“I’ve dreaded writing this for so long… For so many years, football has been the centerpiece of my life,” Alvarez wrote on Instagram. “It came with so many lessons, tears, trials & tribulations, but one thing it’s always left me with is the friendships I’ve made along the way & the ability to persevere in the face of adversity. After another Achilles injury, I’ve decided to medically retire from the game.”
Thyago Alvarez was expected to anchor the interior of a revamped offensive front for head coach Maurice Flowers, and he did just that for the first half of the season. Now, his story stands as a reality check in Brick x Brick. The HBCU Hard Knocks–style docuseries that has chronicled the journey of JCSU football over the past three years.
A Journey Built on Resilience
Before arriving at JCSU, Alvarez’s path was anything but linear. Raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he described himself as “very underrecruited” coming out of high school. He initially walked on at California University of Pennsylvania, taking out loans to keep playing the game he loved.
“My love for the game was larger than the opportunities that I was getting,” Alvarez said in his Brick x Brick interview. “I had some academic money, but I was taking out loans just so I could play football.”
He later transferred to an HBCU, Lincoln University (Pa.) of the CIAA, just 45 minutes from his hometown — a move that allowed his mother to see him play more often. There, Alvarez flourished: he became a two-year captain, started 18 games, and earned his degree from the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU. But his ambitions extended beyond conference honors.
“I wanted to make an impact, make history, and be on the right side,” he explained. “I wanted to win football games, win meaningful games, and potentially make a run for the national championship.”
When Thyago Alvarez entered the transfer portal again, Johnson C. Smith stood out immediately. Alvarez recalled how the Golden Bulls staff didn’t just evaluate his tape. They already knew who he was from game prep and believed in him. That trust sealed his decision.
“Smith believed in me,” he said. “They knew the type of player that I was and that I could impact this program the way I wanted to.”
Football as Identity
Throughout Brick x Brick, Alvarez’s commitment to the craft shines through. He spoke about the relentless rhythm of life in the CIAA. The “Sunday to Sunday” grind of early mornings, late nights, film sessions, and recovery work. He embodied the urgency of a transfer trying to make a name while elevating his team.
“There’s nothing guaranteed about Saturdays,” he said. “Except for having an opportunity to play. So you really got to put your head down, put your nose to it, and be intentional about the way that you do things.”
But his passion for football was forged through pain as well as persistence. Alvarez detailed previous injuries, including a fractured spine and a torn Achilles tendon, that nearly ended his career before.
“I’ve had a lot of minor setbacks where I almost gave up on football a few times,” he admitted. “From fracturing my spine to tearing my Achilles… it’ll be a blessing and nothing but the Lord’s work.”
Those setbacks never dimmed his focus. Alvarez credited his mother — a first-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic — as his source of resilience. Her sacrifices motivated him to keep pushing through adversity.
“Somebody at home is depending on you,” Alvarez said, quoting one of his coaches. “I can’t just give up because things got hard. I got to think about my mom and what my mom did.”
A Sudden Turn
For JCSU, Thyago Alvarez’s medical retirement is a significant emotional loss. Beyond his physical presence on the offensive line, he had quickly emerged as a respected veteran voice in the locker room. His energy during camp — which he called “the hardest camp I’ve ever experienced” — set a tone for the Golden Bulls’ ambitious 2025 campaign.
His departure underscores the fragile reality of college football careers, particularly at the Division II and HBCU levels, where resources and margins are thinner. A single injury can end years of preparation.
The announcement closes one chapter for Thyago Alvarez, but doesn’t diminish his impact. His story — captured on camera through Brick x Brick — will remain a vivid reminder of the human stakes behind every snap.
Brickx Brick SzN III
Episode 1 — “Countdown to Kickoff” (Training Camp)
The Bulls grind through their most demanding camp under Flowers as newcomers learn to follow before they lead. Transfer QB Kelvin “KD” Durham finds his rhythm while DC Barry Tripp tightens the defense around problem-solving and details. The program standard expands beyond scheme: “Championship at everything… even the water bottles go back in the crate.”
Episode 2 — “A Boston Classic” (Essence Kickoff Classic)
A late-summer stage at Harvard Stadium turns into a statement in Week Zero. Durham’s command steadies the offense; the defense dictates the first half; halftime corrections slam the door. Flowers’ message is blunt and businesslike: “We’re the attraction of this show.”