This offseason, after a brilliant 12 seasons in the NFL, linebacker DeMarcus Ware decided to hang up his cleats. But, as he explained to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, his decision to walk away had more to do with how he wanted to live off of the field than if he would still be able to contribute on it.
“You start thinking about your quality of life,” he told Jhabvala. “You still have the desire to get out there and play and compete and win championships. But my body was talking to me.”
After spending the last three seasons with the Denver Broncos, Ware was a free agent. After having back surgery, he was finally feeling healthy. The 34-year-old had teams interested in him, but decided continuing his career wasn’t worth putting his health at risk.
“It wasn’t about the money anymore,” he said. “It was about a way of life. How do I want to live? Because I knew God gave me 12 years to play this game, and now we’ve cleaned up everything those 12 years have cost my body. Going out here one more year and possibly tearing it up — is it worth it?”
Click here to read the full story.
