By Mike McCarthy
San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Chris Borland announced that he will retire after just one season in the NFL. Borland who is only 24 was drafted in the third round out of Wisconsin and was a big contributor to the 49ers defense after they lost Navorro Bowman to an injury. Borland retired due to fear of potential head trauma due to concussions. Borland has had two concussions in his life and both were during high school but with all of the injuries in the NFL in the past, his worries are valid.
A lot of the NFL players are behind Borland’s decision to keep himself safe and healthy in the long run. No one blames him for watching out for himself and with his position and his size, it could happen. He is young and still had his whole career ahead of him, but in the end decided that he didn’t want to take the risk. In an interview for ESPN’s Outside the Lines or OTL, Borland explained his decision to retire:
“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health. From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.
I feel largely the same, as sharp as I’ve ever been. For me it’s wanting to be proactive. I’m concerned that if you wait till you have symptoms, it’s too late. … There are a lot of unknowns. I can’t claim that X will happen. I just want to live a long healthy life, and I don’t want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise.”
Desire and love of the game don’t seem to be the reason why he is leaving the game. From weeks 7-15 of the 2014 season, Borland lead all NFL players with 98 tackles. He has been quoted as saying that he is going back to school to get his Masters in Sports Management. We wish him all of the luck in the world and glad to see a player so informed and pro-active in his future health.
Pleasure playing with you Chris Borland @UWBadgers and against you for the @49ers Praying for you. #OnWisconsin
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 17, 2015
Much respect to Chris Borland. A young man to make that kind of a decision has my full respect.
— Lorenzo Neal (@LorenzoNeal) March 17, 2015
WOW. I loved Chris Borland’s game but I can’t fault him for calling it quits. His concerns are real. Still it takes a man to do the logical.
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) March 17, 2015
Jared Zero