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The Heartbreak of Early Retirement

     NFL athletes are often regarded as being the best football players in the world. There are numerous benefits that come along with being an NFL player but there are also many negatives that come with the profession as well. NFL players are no longer waiting until their play-making ability deteriorates or wait to reach an older age in order to retire. As of recent there has been an unusual number of athletes that are retiring early, which is considered their prime, such as Andrew Luck, Chris Borland, and Rob Gronkowski. We are going to examine this social issue of NFL athletes retiring early. 

     Rob Gronkowski is a former NFL player who retired at 29 years old. He was an elite talent that garnered five Pro Bowl selections and is often considered to be the best tight end of his era. The three-time Super Bowl champion stated that his NFL career took a toll on him both physically and mentally. Gronkowski suffered multiple concussions, back, knee, and quad injuries throughout the duration of his nine-year career. He experiences “mood swings” and currently does “brain exercises” to help combat against the damages from head injuries that affect his mental health (Chiari 2019). This information is very disturbing as Gronkowski was a fan favorite while he was in the league. To see a superstar athlete like Gronkowski share the troubling effects of playing football is very concerning as many young athletes idolize him. 

     Chris Borland was one of the first NFL players to retire early due to concerns of his mental health after football. He only played one year at the NFL level but quickly made his impact achieving All-Rookie Honors. Borland suffered two diagnosed concussions during his athletic career but claims to have suffered an alarming 13 more concussions that he chose not to officially report. After he retired, he initially felt hopeless as he explained, “I would oscillate between feeling trapped and feeling aimless… I had opportunities walking away, but didn’t know what I wanted to do” (Jones 2018). This is a feeling that most NFL athletes have once they retire as they have an identity crisis between being an NFL athlete and struggling to find something that gives them the same drive and feeling that football once gave them. Chris Borland currently works with the After The Impact Fund to help former NFL players and military veterans who suffer from traumatic injuries. His surprising retirement still impacts the NFL as current players seek him out for advice on how to deal with life after brain injuries.

     The most recent and shocking NFL announcement is the retirement of Quarterback Andrew Luck. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and was the 1st overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He announced his retirement at 29 years old during a press conference after a preseason game. He suffered numerous injuries and went through long and brutal rehabilitation processes  in order to get healthy. These injuries impacted him greatly as he mentioned an “Cycle of injury, pain, rehab;injury, pain, rehab… I haven’t been able to live the life I want.” Luck states, “I made a vow to myself that I would not go down that path again. I find myself in a similar situation. The only way forward for me is remove myself from football and this cycle that I’ve been in. I made a vow to myself that if I ever did again, I would choose me in this sense” (Haislop 2019). It is heartbreaking to see Luck in this emotional state as he was mentally worn down from playing football and clearly not happy playing the sport he once loved. He realized that his physical and mental health are more important than money or a continued career in a profession in which he no longer desired to be in. 

     We believe that this trend of NFL athletes retiring early is only going to increase. New technology and awareness of mental health is going to continue to expand throughout the sports industry. Teenage athletes should have their mental health as a top priority in life. All athletes in sports go through something similar to the aforementioned superstars. It is extremely vital to be cautious about your body and health, especially when playing sports frequently. All sports have some sort of risks as you are going to be physically and mentally tested. Teenage athletes should not have to deal with some of these problems that these particular athletes are going through. Sports such as football may be fun but is it really worth harming your health? It is best to use your head just like these former football athletes. 

References: 

Chiari, M, ( August,2019).Rob Gronkowski Reveals He Had Liquid in His Head, Mood Swings Due to NFL Career. Bleacher Report. Retrieved September , 2019

from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2851564-rob-gronkowski-reveals-he-had-liquid-in-his-head-mood-swings-due-to-nfl-career

Haislop, T, ( August,2019).Why did Andrew Luck retire? Colts QB explains decision to end NFL career. Sporting News. Retrieved September , 2019

from https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/why-did-andrew-luck-retire-colts-qb/1nta6urevjrpi1p4wm8dy4pops

Jones, M, ( April,2018).After leaving San Francisco 49ers after one season to protect his health, Chris Borland isn't looking back. USA Today. Retrieved September , 2019

from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2018/04/20/chris-borland-not-looking-back-health-concussions-49-ers/534902002/

Pictures:

"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/825/686/hi-res-b2d667c3a8bb72d9926433e6c609cabd_crop_north.jpg?1567095434&w=3072&h=2048"

"https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/styles/adaptive/public/images/2017/10/csd-borland-for-web.jpg?itok=Rn4dy55s"