Long before San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland publicly revealed his retirement from the NFL after just one season, his family was aware that his professional football career could be a short one.
In fact, Borland told his parents following the 49ers final preseason game on Aug. 28 that he was leaning toward retiring after the 2014 season. Still, he still planned on making an impact on the field – even if it was only for one season.
“He passed a note to his mom and I after the last preseason game, thinking this would be his last year,” Jeff Borland, Chris’ father, told the San Jose Mercury News. “At the same time, and this is very important, he also expressed he planned to go all out and not hold back whatsoever. He set the loftiest of goals, and he maybe came within an ankle injury of achieving them.”
Jeff Borland said even though he knew he would only play a year, Chris still wanted to prove that he could perform at the highest level.
“We kept it to ourselves. It wasn’t a farewell tour. It was, ‘Let’s go see what we can do and see if we can do it at this level.” Jeff Borland said. “The 49ers gave him a chance. An injury (to Patrick Willis) gave him an opportunity, and he got to prove to himself, if not others, he’s not to short, not too slow and whether his arms are not long enough.”
He certainly did prove himself, too. After replacing the injured Willis (who also retired last week) in the starting lineup, Borland quickly established himself as a playmaker at middle linebacker and ended up leading the team in tackles.
Even after that success, Borland decided the risk associated with playing football was just too much.
“For the team and organization and the sport and his teammates, he gave it everything he had,” Jeff Borland said. “He didn’t hold back. When the season was over, he revisited this thought and didn’t see any reason to change his decision.”
Chris told ESPN’s Outside the Lines that he researched the long-term effects of head injuries and brain trauma and didn’t want to face that possibility down the line.
"I just thought to myself, 'What am I doing?'" Borland said. "Is this how I'm going to live my adult life, banging my head, especially with what I've learned and knew about the dangers?"
Jeff said the family supported Chris’ decision “100 percent” and that he is already “looking for work.”
“He’s got to get on with his life,” Jeff said.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/192scKZ
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