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For most young athletes who grew up loving the game of football, the pinnacle and crescendo is making it to the NFL. The best players in the world have heard their names called on Sunday, and their younger counterparts dream and hope that one day they'll be able to do the same.
While ultimately, making an NFL roster is a dream come true, in some cases, it can also become a nightmare. Sleepless nights due to the injuries associated with the game are sometimes too much to bear. With so much left to offer in the game, there are a number of players who have left the sport they love more than anything else in the world, due to those arduous rigors.
Here are five NFL players who retired before they turned 30.
#5 Luke Kuechly
Making the move to the NFL from college is normally an arduous one. Players at the next level are usually faster, stronger, and flat-out better than their collegiate counterparts. So, with numerous advantages, college players, at least normally, often struggle at the next level early on. Yet, in the case of Luke Kuechly, he dominated from the get-go.
In his first season, the former first-round pick registered a ridiculous 164 combined tackles for the Carolina Panthers. By year two, he was already a Pro Bowler and All-Pro. For the remainder of his career, Kuechly would continue to dominate on defense, striking fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks.
But while Kuechly played like a man possessed, his reckless abandon became his downfall. Throughout numerous points in his career, Kuechly was forced to miss time due to concussions. At the age of 28, and seemingly with the NFL world at his mercy, Kuechly retired. With no thirst or interest in returning, he simply rode off into the sunset seemingly with so much more to give.
#4 Andrew Luck
Stepping into the shoes of a legend can be frightening. Nevertheless, Andrew Luck was forced into that position before he even stepped foot on the NFL turf.
Peyton Manning’s time as an Indianapolis Colt had essentially come to an end. With countless Pro Bowls under his belt and two Super Bowl appearances, including one Lombardi Trophy, Manning was universally loved. Be that as it may, a neck issue forced Manning out the front door as Luck stepped in.
Taken with the number one overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Luck didn’t allow the pressure to affect him. He was quickly named to three Pro Bowl teams and pushed the Colts toward contender status. Along the way, however, Indianapolis became enamored with his ability to drag a less than stellar roster into the postseason. Indianapolis ignored the glaring holes they had on the offensive line and allowed Luck to take a beating.
Luck would miss nine games in 2015 before missing the entire season in 2017. Eventually, after dealing with his perpetual injury woes, Luck would return, leading the Colts to another postseason berth in 2018.
Although they ultimately came up short during their run, the Colts prepared themselves for what appeared to be several years of improvement. Their seemingly glorious run near the top of the NFL food chain was a transient one, as Luck made a beeline for retirement. He officially hung up his cleats for good following the 2018 season at the age of 29.
#3 Gale Sayers
Drafting running backs early in the first round is a rarity. Gale Sayers, however, was a different animal.
Sayers was nearly impossible to stop in college. In his freshman season, Sayers easily ran for over 1,100 yards and seven scores. During his three-year career in the unpaid ranks, it was much of the same as Sayers was ruthless in his running attack.
The Chicago Bears immediately fell in love with him and drafted Sayers with the fifth overall pick in the 1965 draft. Sayers was otherworldly. He was named to five consecutive Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams.
His heavy workload would eventually catch up to him, as persistent knee injuries forced Sayers to retire at the age of 29. Five years later, he would hear his name called by the Hall of Fame. At 34, Sayers became the youngest Hall of Famer of all time.
#2 Billy Sims
The Hall of Fame appeared to be a virtual certainty for running back Billy Sims. He was a unique runner, crafty in every sense of the word and slippery whenever defenders had him in their grasp.
His first season, which took place in 1980, was sensational. Sims rushed for 1,303 yards and led the league with 13 rushing touchdowns. The following year, it was much of the same as he recorded another 13 scores on the ground to go along with 1,437 rushing yards.
In 1984, at the halfway mark of the season, Sims suffered a devastating injury, leaving him unable to perform at the highest of levels and ushering him into retirement soon after.
#1 Chris Borland
There was always a lot of excitement about Chris Borland. The former inside linebacker officially reached the pinnacle of his sport after being drafted in 2014 by the San Francisco 49ers.
Eager to prove that he belonged, Borland played with almost reckless determination in his rookie season. He wrapped up his first year in the league with 108 combined tackles and two interceptions.
However, Borland had some concerns regarding his current job occupation. Once he truly understood the facts surrounding the head trauma risks associated with the NFL, Borland found it difficult to continue playing. So, with only one year under his belt, Borland officially walked away from the NFL at the age of 23.
