By: Isabella Wong
The decision to give up something so precious to you is difficult, but when that decision is for the best, it has to be made. This is exactly what Ryan Kerrigan went through as he retired from his beloved football career due to an injury.
Ryan Kerrigan is a former American football player, who recently announced the
end of his 11-year career with his retirement. He played for the Washington Redskins as a defensive end and the team’s all-time sack leader for 11 entire football seasons. As he dominated on the field, he had been battling an aggravating knee injury for a period of time.
“I kind of had that realization the other night… I’m not going to play football
anymore,” he explained. “That’s kind of crazy. Been doing it for so long. But I just know where I’m at, health-wise and whatnot, that this is the best thing for me moving forward.”
He explained how his doctors told him that he should’ve retired a year earlier than he did due to a bad knee injury that had been he had tried to battle for about 9 years, with his injury dating back to sometime in 2013.
On Saturday, July 29, Kerrigan attended Washington’s training camp practice, where sports teams mainly practice to prepare for the upcoming seasons, on Saturday, He held a happy expression on his face the entire practice, hoping that his health reports were cleaner. He acknowledged the fact that he would continue playing if his medical reports showed improvement in his condition.
“It’s complicated because I still feel like I can but knowing that it’s not a guarantee that I would get a roster spot at the end of camp,” Kerrigan said. “But without that guarantee, to continue to put more stress on my knee and whatnot, it wasn’t worth it.”
Players in Washington admired his dedication that brought all the joy and energy to the team. However, even though he has confirmed his decision to retire, he is just getting started with football in other ways. He has hopes to go from a professional American football player to a coach, continuing his job as a mentor.
I love football too much,” he said with a determined tone, emphasizing that he was not yet done with football. “I just love football too much to not be involved in it in any capacity.”
Sources