John Moffitt: Ex-Bronco, ex-Seahawk, ex-NFL . . . and no regrets

[underpants]

Guard John Moffitt, traded by Seattle to Denver in August, retired in November at 27. 'I was just sick of playing football,' he says now.

Less than three months ago, Moffitt stunned the 7-1 Broncos by returning home to the Seattle area during his week off and deciding to walk away from his NFL career. The Seahawks had traded him to Denver in August, after he had played his first two seasons with Seattle.


"I was just sick of playing football," said Moffitt, 27, sitting on the couch in a modest home he rents about a mile south of Seahawks headquarters. "I felt I'd played a lot and had gotten to the point where it wasn't necessarily paying off, and it wasn't something I was enjoying anymore. I was really unhappy with the whole lifestyle."



But the potential for more injuries isn't the only reason why Moffitt quit the game. He soured on the NFL ethos — "taught thought" he calls it — which he sees as a big corporate money grab that uses players as pawns. It bothers him that society puts professional athletes on pedestals.

"It freaks me out sometimes when you have grown men that you look up to act completely different around you now because you're in the NFL," he said. "That should not happen. NFL players are young men who have a lot of money; they don't deserve that much credit simply on that basis.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-john-moffitt-broncos-20140127,0,176044.column#ixzz2sC6sdQAi

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. This sounds like a guy I would like to meet and know.

[Jim__]

2. The role of football players is to gather large crowds.

To a good salesman, a large crowd is an opportunity to make a lot of money. The mystic appeal of professional athletics is a way to enhance both the size and the loyalty of those crowds. 181 million Americans are expected to watch the super bowl today. If you were a good salesman, what would it be worth to you to gain access to a crowd of that size?

[underpants]

3. Good point

Moffitt was the end of this season away from qualifying for his pension. He walked away. If you have ever seen "Hoop Dreams" you know that people just get tired of playing a game everyday at some point.

[adirondacker]

4. Awesome and timely article. Thanks for posting. nt