Jake Ballard retires at age 26

[Brady6]

Best wishes to Ballard in his next chapter of life. He had a promising career it is a shame that the knee injury cut it short.

Jake Ballard Retires from NFL After 4-Year Career | Bleacher Report

 

[meatface]

always sucks to see someones career cut short because of injury.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

Kind of saw that writing on the wall when he tried to come back with the Patriots. He looked like he was way older than he is. Like Dallas Clark stole his identity. Sad, but this stuff is bound to happen sometimes.

Hopefully he was smart with his money. Tall, athletic, 'rich' and young. And a Super Bowl champ. I'd still trade places with him.

 

[Kontradiction]

A quick browsing of Google didn't yield anything, but hopefully he worked hard in the classroom and got a degree in a field that isn't totally worthless. Coming off a rookie contract, he'll probably be doing better than a lot of Americans, but he isn't "rich" by any means. Hopefully he's able to have a stable and profitable career, post-football.

 

[varjao]

yeah that sucks, microfracture surgery and high level competition seems to be a tough match. How is Amare Stoudemire doing?

 

[varjao]

by the way what a classy statement from Ballard, I wish him success in this new chapter of his life.

"Yesterday I made the difficult decision to retire from the game of football. I love this game and have put my heart and soul into it for as long as I can remember. After sustaining a serious knee injury while playing for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, my body never felt the same. Having a quality of life after football is very important to me and I have witnessed it taken away from others. I will miss the game tremendously, but I am ready for this next chapter in my life. It was an honor and a privilege to play for the NY Giants, New England Patriots, and most recently the Arizona Cardinals. I met amazing people from all of my teammates, to opponents, to trainers, to coaches, to owners, and everyone in between. I thank you for allowing me to be a part of your fraternity and I wish you all nothing but success."