Hhhhmmm.....I don't know about your decision. I played four years of football and bowhunted on the weekends. I wouldn't give back those memories for anything. You can bowhunt from the year after highschool until you can't shoot even a crossbow anymore, but you won't be able to play football again...nor will you have those memories with your high school buddies/teammates. It is your personal decision, I just don't want you to regret it the long run.