Earlier this week, Giants tight end Darren Waller announced he was retiring from football, as many had expected in the past few weeks. In a video announcing his decision, Waller explained that he had a near-death experience in November that led to an epiphany.
TMZ's Jenna Lemoncelli recently spoke to New York PostWaller said he stepped down because he could no longer give his all to the game.
“Football was a big part of me. It was something I loved growing up, but I also knew it was a way for people to accept me, so that's why I stuck with it,” Waller said. “I I can't give 100% to the process.“I don't think it would be fair to my teammates, the fans and the organization that wants that from me, so that's why I've made this decision.”
Waller now wants to focus on music.
“I definitely want to put a lot of my creative energy into it,” Waller said. “I want to do what I want to do and spend my time doing that, but I also want to continue doing the advocacy work that I've been doing for addiction and mental health…”
“I want to see the world. I want to travel. I want to be more involved in family lives. I want to be a better friend, a better sponsor. I want to be more involved in people's lives because I feel like I wasn't as involved while I was chasing football.”
Anyone who isn't giving their all to soccer should retire. The sport is too demanding in every respect, and for most people who play it, it takes up a relatively short portion of their lives.
Chuck Noll called the post-playing period his “life's work,” and rightly so: A player's post-playing life will likely last much longer than his time on the field, even if his post-playing career doesn't bring the same financial gains or fame.
