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Terron Armstead retired from the NFL after 12 seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, and he has not spared any details when explaining why now is the right time to step away from the game.
It is the first time since he was 5 years old, a total of 28 years, that he will not be playing for a football team this fall. However, Armstead shared some grueling injury stories that led the offensive tackle to hang up his cleats.
Why did the 33-year-old share his personal injury journey? Now on the outside looking in, he wants to be the voice for players going through similar situations in the NFL today.
“Now that I’m done, I would like to start sharing more of my stories because there’s players that are actively playing who are dealing with similar situations,” he told Fox News Digital at Fanatics Fest on Friday.
“So, I want to be a voice for them and allow the fans to know that they can’t necessarily speak on their injury. Because you never want to have those built-in excuses before a game, like, ‘I lost on this play because of my knee.’ You know what I mean? Never want to have that.”
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For NFL fans, it sometimes gets lost in the heat of competition and highlight-reel plays how much of a toll the 17-game-plus season can take on a player’s body, especially a lineman like Armstead. Years of training and competing on the gridiron takes its toll, and Armstead said his ailment was a knee injury he constantly had to battle through since his third year in the league.
“I didn’t see a practice field at all, and not because I didn’t want to or the Dolphins just wanted me to rest. It’s like I literally couldn’t walk,” he said during an appearance on the “Nightcap Show.”
“After a game on Sunday, I wouldn’t be able to walk on my own, under my own power, until Wednesday, Thursday. So, I was only able to play under the pain meds. I couldn’t put any pressure on my knee, so it was like, I can’t keep doing that to myself.”
So, no, Armstead is not going to be one of those retirees who will get the urge to get back on the field come Week 1.
“I think I’m done, I’m at peace with it. I’m excited to be on this side to talk about the game, share my knowledge and experience.
“After being in the game for so long, and playing football for so long since five years old, it’s definitely bittersweet. It’s my first year without it after 28 years, so I’ll see what this life is going to be like without football. I’m so grateful and appreciative for it, but I’m excited for my future.”
While he may be off the sidelines, Armstead still wants to make an impact on the game he loves dearly, especially for those players who continue to put their bodies on the line each year to hunt for a Super Bowl title alongside their teammates.
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