Chris Borland has given more details on his decision to retire early from the NFL due to fears over head trauma.
Borland was one of the standout players for the San Francisco 49ers last season, and his decision to retire at the age of 24 shocked many. But Borland told ESPN’s Outside The Lines that he didn’t think a career in football was worth the risk.
“I mean, if it could potentially kill you – I know that’s a drastic way to put it, but it is a possibility – that really puts it in perspective to me,” he said. “To me, it just wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Borland may have to repay the majority of his $617,436 signing bonus to the 49ers, and gave up the possibility of earning of millions of dollars over his career, but he said his priority was his health.
“I can relate from the outside looking in that it wouldn’t make sense to a lot of people, and I’ve had close friends who have said, ‘Well, why don’t you just play one more year, it’s a lot more money, you probably won’t get hurt.’ I just don’t want to get in a situation where I’m negotiating my health for money. Who knows how many hits is too many?”
Borland said reading League of Denial, a book about brain damage and the NFL, while sitting out the last two games of the season with an ankle injury had had an influence on his retirement. “I kept it secret,” he said. “You can’t be in the locker room reading League of Denial.”
While many players have supported Borland’s decision it has been pointed out that he comes from a comfortable background and can fall back on family support. Borland said he has sympathy with other players who are forced to play on for financial reasons. “I’ve got the luxury of choice just with the way I’ve been raised and the good fortune of growing up in a middle-class family and having my college degree,” he said. “I’ve got a bachelor’s degree in history so employers aren’t exactly drooling over my credentials, but no, I think there’s guys who don’t have that choice, but that’s not a reason to shirk the issue or avoid addressing things.”
Borland agreed that his retirement made a “pretty profound statement” about the NFL. When asked to explain what that statement is he replied: “That health is more important than a career in football.”
