Rashard Mendenhall Retires

[SuperHornet]

Former first-round pick Rashard Mendenhall, who played in a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh, has retired. After a major knee surgery, he apparently didn't feel like playing anymore. He only played a few seasons, and is only 26. This past season with Arizona, Mendenhall averaged 3.2 ypc and scored 8 TD. His best season was the Super Bowl season, in which he piled up 1,273 yards and 13 TDs.

The bright side is that if the surgery was done right, he'll have a healthy future with his family. I don't think he's had any issues with concussions.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutd ... 48663.html

[dal4018]

Former first-round pick Rashard Mendenhall, who played in a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh, has retired. After a major knee surgery, he apparently didn't feel like playing anymore. He only played a few seasons, and is only 26. This past season with Arizona, Mendenhall averaged 3.2 ypc and scored 8 TD. His best season was the Super Bowl season, in which he piled up 1,273 yards and 13 TDs.

The bright side is that if the surgery was done right, he'll have a healthy future with his family. I don't think he's had any issues with concussions.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutd ... 48663.html

Good to hear about no concussions thoughts of Bill Romanowski run through my head!!!!

[GannonFan]

Can't fault the guy - just make as much money as you can and get out of there healthy. Especially a running back. Way too many examples of guys with major knee and leg issues and back issues for the rest of their lives, as well as the concussion danger. Just not worth it, especially if you can get a few years of decent money.

[AZGrizFan]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10580 ... 4723768557#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But it wasn't football that drove Mendenhall away. He says his passion for the game was still alive and well, but his retirement was due to a combination of things -- having his life dissected under a microscope, wanting to live the rest of his life without the potential physical limitations that come with years of playing, and his dislike with how the game has shifted more toward entertainment and away from fundamentals.

"Imagine having a job where you're always on duty, and can never fully relax or you just may drown," he wrote. "Having to fight through waves and currents of praise and criticism, but mostly hate. I can't even count how many times I've been called a 'dumb n-----.'"

Boo-fucking-hoo. Take the good with the bad. An unsigned, 26-year-old, oft-injured running back with declining numbers...perhaps he saw the writing on the wall? YPC declined from 4.2 (2011) to 3.6 (2012) to 3.1 (2013). And he blames RACISM for driving him out?

Dude made over $5.3 million the last two years, giving him the freedom to "travel the world and write"...wouldn't we all love to have that "freedom" at the age of 26, but most of us won't make $5.3 million in our entire LIVES so we're stuck with 2 weeks of vacation a year. I have a real tough time feeling sorry for professional athletes....

[BDKJMU]

Best friend is a huge Steelers fan. Called him his 1st couple of seasons in Pittsburgh "Rashard FumbleTheBall". He pissed off Steelers fans with all his fumbles and his tweets:

On 9/11:
"We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."

On Bin Laden's death:
"What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/f ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Guy was a fumbler and a moron.