In the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Iowa State defensive lineman Karl Klug.
In his rookie season, Klug far surpassed he expectations set for a late-round pick. The former Hawkeye led all rookies in sacks, recording seven on the year.
While he would see a Pro Bowl, All-Pro team, or become a three-down starter, Klug became a fan favorite in Tennessee. What set Klug apart from other players was his raw determination.
When hw was on the field, his effort and grit was hardly matched.
When he was released in March of 2018, many fans were dismayed, with some even taking to social media with negative reactions.
While no one wanted to see Klug go, the decision was the right one for the team at the time. Klug was about to be due $2.5 million, had many nagging injuries, and didn’t have a fit in a defense that was going through drastic changes.
But, the timing couldn’t have been worse for Klug in his personal life. While he was dealing with injuries holding him back, Klug’s wife was also pregnant with the couple’s fourth child.
Instead of uprooting his family and moving to a new city, Klug decided it was time to hang his shoulder pads up and retire.
Today, Klug is a defensive line coach at Page High School in Franklin Tennessee. While he was playing, Klug volunteered with the school in his free time.
After developing a friendship with the head coach and deciding to retire, Klug decided to make a phone call to see if the school had any openings, and it did.
“We had the D-line position open, and it was obviously a natural fit,” Rathbone said. “[Klug] knows the kids, and he’s passionate about football.”
Many NFL players feel lost while entering retirement. Some say it’s almost like their identity is being stripped away, but not Klug.
“I’m 100-percent at peace with [my decision],” Klug said. “I get reminders on a daily basis when I’m home with my kids. Right now, I’m just kind of doing whatever makes me feel good. Coming [to Page] and helping these guys makes me feel good.
I don’t want to speak for anyone, but some people can get caught up in the status of being an NFL player,” Klug said. “Once that’s stripped from them, they kind of lose themselves. The last few years, I tried to strip my identity away from [playing football].”
Klug also thinks the future looks bright for the Titans, although he may not be watching.
“It seems like they’re heading in the right direction, and they’re pretty talented,” Klug said of the Titans. “But I don’t know how much I’ll be watching anyway. If my boys want to watch, I’ll watch it with them. [Otherwise], I’ll find something else to do on Sundays.”
Klug seems to be at peace with his decision to retire from the NFL, and he is right where he wants to be.
“I’m just trying to teach them to be better athletes,” he said. “I’m teaching them to be fast and aggressive. Really, you don’t need experience on the d-line at this level, you just go out, and play fast.”
I just want to coach the d-line, that’s it. Head coaches have to do a lot of other stuff and go to meetings.“
Many Titans are probably glad we didn’t have to see Klug on an opposing team, and the he stayed right here in Tennessee. We’re also glad that everything worked out for Klug and he found another career that he loves to do.
