Former New Orleans Saints starting linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha made a surprising decision on Tuesday, when the XFL’s Dallas Renegades announced that he was cutting his season short and entering retirement. But Kikaha later explained from his official Instagram account that he isn’t viewing his decision to part from football as the final chapter; he says that, “I have some very personal family issues that need my attention right now,” which draws higher importance than continuing his playing career. Still, he’s optimistic that he’ll get another opportunity to sack quarterbacks someday.
And that makes more sense for Kikaha than suddenly calling it quits after just three games. He worked hard to try out for NFL teams before taking a crack at the upstart XFL, and was an integral piece of the Renegades defense — in just the last two weeks, Kikaha made highlight reel-worthy plays with a stripped fumble and a big sack in back-to-back wins.
He’s a big-time player (who still ranks first in the Washington Huskies record books with 36 career sacks) that the Saints once drafted in the second round, and who the Renegades also picked highly. It’s just a shame that a series of injuries (including three torn ACL’s) cut down his career on football’s biggest stage. Here’s hoping everything levels out for Kikaha personally, and that he’ll be able to get back to what he does best.
