Congratulations. I can’t begin to imagine the weight of your decision to retire from your first professional job. I applaud your courage in stepping away from the NFL as a player.

For a sports fan from Indiana I think it’s safe to say that in proceeding years may involve a simple question of

Where were you when you heard of Andrew Luck’s retirement?

For me I was going to bed. I checked my phone before calling a night and my younger brother had texted me:

Andrew Luck retiring

text read at 11:36 pm

After reading the text, I told my wife and she mentioned you were expecting a child. If this is not true. I apologize. The next morning as I sit here waiting for my family to wake I am thinking about how this will impact your life and I am filled with joy. Irregardless of how much you enjoyed playing football you’ll love being a stay at home dad. If that is what you choose to do. Being an NFL consumer I have told countless friends and acquaintances that I thought you were to smart to stay in the NFL if you were in pain.

Trust me, as long as your wife is supportive it is an incredible opportunity.

From one SAHD to a potential member of the club

Stay At Home Dad

I have lived my entire life in Indiana. I’m not a Colts fan. I have always been and will always be a Bears fan so this is no love letter.

We both relocated to Indianapolis to begin our professional careers. You as a football player and me as a new teaching candidate. I do appreciate the impact the Colts Organization has had on Indianapolis, the surrounding area, and the State. As the NFL has grown over the last 20 plus years so have the Colts. So much in fact, that it is my belief that they are now more synonymous with this state than the tulip tree, the cardinal, the 500, and basketball. Let alone any University.

I never played football in the NFL. I never even made it on the field in College. Due to my geographic location I was recruited by all MAC and B1G teams, a slew of other D1 teams throughout the nation, most of all D2 and D3 schools in the Midwest. Because of injuries I never made it on an actual college field to play. It was the mid 90’s. It was different. Not just the world but for this letter football in general. How the game was coached, played, officiated was way different.

After graduating from Purdue University I coached from 2005-2014 . I’ve seen how the entire sport has changed since I played. Some of those changes a for the better, some for the worse, but one consistent is the almost unavoidable pain inflicted on your body with every violent act. Don’t get me wrong, football for me, much the same as you i’d imagine, has given me some incredible opportunities. Opportunities, for a kid like me at least, I would not have had if it weren’t for the sport. Because of these connections I think I might be able to understand how you feel.

I hope you get yourself healthy and are able to enjoy a life with less pain. Enjoy your child and all the magical moments ahead for your family.

You won’t regret leaving the game to be a dad

The most valuable commodity in life is time. Enjoy the time with your family.

You have chosen wisely

Thanks for reading,

Ken