3 years ago, at only 28 years old, NFL superstar LB Luke Kuechly retired from the NFL. At such a young age, he decided to walk away from the game he dedicated his life to. Now at 32 years old, Kuechly spoke with The New York Times to discuss why he did it and the dangers of playing football.
In the interview, Kuechly talks about how he tries to spread awareness of concussions and brain injuries. He has explained in the past that the main reason for his retirement was due to the several injuries he has faced in the past, and how it would be too dangerous to continue playing. He also did it to spread awareness so that athletes understand the risks of competitive sports, especially tackle football.
Another player who faced some scary looking injuries, is Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. When asked if he "cringed" at the sight of Tua's concussion from last season, Kuechly replied with:
"No. The biggest thing for me is I just want guys to be safe. I want guys to have the opportunity to play as long as they can with the game that they love. But I think everybody in the N.F.L. understands that it's a violent game. It's physical, it's tough. There's big strong guys running around, and getting hurt is kind of inevitable. I want Tua to play as long as Tua wants to, and I want him to play as safe as he can. But ultimately it's kind of the game right now: It's just big guys running fast, hitting hard, lifting weights. Things happen very quickly out there".
Kuechly explains how he still loves and supports the NFL, but he just wants people to understand what they are putting themselves into. He wants parents to make sure that their kids really want to play, and to not push them to do so.
After being drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft by the Panthers, he spent his entire career with them. He is a 7-time Pro Bowler, the 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 2-time NFL tackles leader, and many more accomplishes, as well as records. Even with such a short career, Kuechly will be remembered as one of the best linebackers to ever play.
