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Seems to have a lot to do with his take before and during football. It wasn't his life or the way he defined himself. It was something he had an opportunity to do and he appreciates all it taught him and provided for his family and his true passions. He always knew last year was going to be it.
One day he may have issues to deal with, but you get the feeling he will be better equipped to than many of his peers and it won't be because of anything the league mandated. It will be because he was a lot better adjusted individual to begin with than many of his peers.
This is why the culture has to change. From without and within. It's always going to be a way out for a lot of guys. But they have to be counseled from an early age that what you do isn't who you are. And you're not at war, you play a game because you're athletically gifted enough to. You can get a lot out of it, a college education, a small fortune and potential financial security for a generation, elevated profile with which to impact lives beyond your own small circle of friends that affords you to do something that will have lasting impact long after your necessarily brief professional on field career is over. Society is as responsible for what has gone wrong with these players during and after their careers as the league is. The game doesn't have to be brutal to be fascinating.
I think a lot of players, particularly on defense, fear that they will become less of a force and focus if brutality is not glorified. And on both sides of the ball they fear that the time will come when the league legislates how long you play because neither players nor individual teams (like Cleveland) can be trusted to do the right thing and make the best decision for all concerned. The call now is for mandatory counseling for retirees... How you going to mandate it, by tying their pension benefits to it? Good luck getting the NFLPA behind anything mandatory in the name of the greater good...
I'm really worried about Rodney. Not a peep and we know he's been dealing with some symptoms for a while now. I hope his brothers and his past and present employers and collegues (including the lawyer turned internet analyst) have reached out to him because we as fans unfortunately can't.
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This one was special because it would be my last. I hadn't told that to anyone but it was something that I'd known for most the season. Kind of nice that the Super Bowl would be my last stop. For those of you who know the outcome of the game you are perhaps laughing or feeling sorry for me. All that hard work and effort for nothing ... The last memory in pads forever ruined by the Giant hands of defeat ... So close to a world championship. But those were never my thoughts.
Sure, I was upset about the outcome. I've never gone into any game thinking we would lose. It seemed like déjà vu. Same team, same stakes, same outcome. But there was a big difference this time. Instead of hanging my head, I actually felt blessed. As my teammates struggled to find the words to express their disappointment, I was reminded how fortunate I'd been during my entire career --
See, I decided to raffle off two tickets to the game. Throughout the week we used the media hype to bring awareness to our foundation, The Light Foundation. We had been working on plans for a new turf field, timber frame pavilion and restroom facility, and through the raffle, we raised $272,000, enough to make these significant improvements on our 400 acres we've developed as a camp to work with at-risk teenage boys near my hometown of Greenville, Ohio. I'm sharing this story with you because I think it helps illustrate the best of the NFL.
The day after the Super Bowl, I headed back to my home in Ohio to begin clearing the land for the turf field...It's truly incredible to watch a team of people, all donating their time, work together to create opportunities for kids. The work we've done will certainly outlast anything I could ever accomplish on the field.
I didn't grow up wanting to play football. Never thought a college would pay for me to join their team. The draft was just a reason to throw a party and I'd never seen a pro football game in person until I played in one. Yet, this unbelievable journey has provided my family and I with more than we could ever ask for and the ability to help those around us. That is the biggest victory of my career and why I will forever be grateful to the Patriots organization and the NFL.
I don't remember plays from games or any other details that involve what most fans watch. I've never gone back and watched a tape from one of our games on TV. So while I'm sure I will miss a lot of what's been my life as a lineman, the things that have always been the most important to me will still be. I love a good challenge and the art of negotiation. Problem-solving and hard work are actually fun. Being a dad is still the greatest part of my day and the friendships that were created over the past 11 seasons will forever be cherished. The game of football has taught me more about life than X's and O's. It's about patience, humility, honor, perseverance, and the Belichick way-at least to me, that's what's important to have the best chance to win, and to build a long career.
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NFL - A perfect american business model .
HarleyDavidson-Turning gas into noise for more than 100 yrs without the side effects of power and still making a tonne of money a great american business model.
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When I heard he retired I was of the opinion that he could and probably would come back if and when one of the guys on the line went down. Light could skip training camp and stil contribute to the team.
I have changed my mind. He is done. As much as anyone on the team he represents the "B" level player who through effort and coaching played at an "A-" (or better) level consistantly. Filling the roster with guys like that is the Pats model for long term success.
A leader in the charity work. Best of luck to him in the future.
I am talking about competition....did bruce armstrong played against say a freeney,taylor ,shobel twice every year.speed and power.
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NFL - A perfect american business model .
HarleyDavidson-Turning gas into noise for more than 100 yrs without the side effects of power and still making a tonne of money a great american business model.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
by the way, Belichick's criteria that football be incredibly important to a player is not written in stone.
A good LT but way over rated
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Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH
3Likes
MMQB - Light's take on life after football
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