Luke Kuechly Retires From The NFL At The Age Of 28 In An Emotional Video That I Certainly Didnt Cry About AT ALL

Thats gotta be fucking tough. These dudes play football their entire lives. They live it. They breathe it. It consumes everything about them, but then there comes a point when you gotta look yourself in the mirror and know it's time to hang up the ole cleats. It's no secret that Luke's brain has been rumbling around in his skull for the last couple of years. He's had some flat out scary moments on the field. 

I remember one with Jacksonville. Luke came in the box to fill the hole and met TJ Yeldon head-on. The crowns of both their helmets met hard and Luke didn't get up for a little while. In terms of contact on an NFL field, it wasn't anything shocking. It's not like TJ is a powerback or anything. It took Luke weeks to clear the concussion protocol after that because it wasnt his first major concussion. That was 3 years and hundreds if not thousands of hits ago. It was time for him to step away. 

That being said, it's nice to see guys who are still at the top of the game realize that they 1. have the money 2. have the respect 3. have the ability to walk away from the game they love while they can still enjoy the rest of their lives. 

Enjoy retirement, Luke.