It is an off day for the Washington Commanders as they go through the motions of practice. Footballs cut through the air with a spiral only to be caught by sprinting receivers as the defensive line barrel into sleds. Dressed in a Washington Commanders T-shirt, Ryan Kerrigan sits on the sideline quietly adjusting to his new circumstances.
For the past 12 years of his record filled career, Kerrigan was rarely seen on the sidelines. Instead, he was in the thick of it, training as hard as he could while also pushing his teammates to their limits. Now, he can only watch the game he loves but can no longer play.
Last Friday, Kerrigan announced his retirement capping off his amazing 11 season career. During this time, he was the franchises’ all-time sack leader and was part of the Commanders roster for 10 seasons.
On May of 2021, doctors revealed the poor reports of his knee effectively ending his career. His knee problems stemmed from a injury in 2013 which tore his meniscus on his knee. With his last days of professional football dwindling, Kerrigan has used this time to reflect on his 12-year career. He announced in a statement, “Even though I know it’s the right decision, ultimately it’s still not easy to know that I’m not going to play football anymore, … [b]ut I just know where I’m at, health-wise and whatnot, that this is the best thing for me moving forward.”
Kerrigan’s long career makes him no stranger to dramatic moments. During his final days as a player, he thinks about all of his most tense and game winning moments. But most of his thoughts lead back to the moments in the locker room with his friends and family: “But it’s when I come back here to [the training facility] that I really am like, ‘That’s why I’ve loved this place,’ ” he said. “Because it’s all the relationships you built over the years with teammates, coaches, the people in the kitchen, the strength staff, [media]. . . . It’s hard to walk away, even though I know it’s the right thing.”
Link:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1659266118657x595420659224579200/Ryan%20Kerrigan%20retires%20from%20Washington%20and%20considers%20football%20career%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34317933/retirement-franchise-sacks-leader-ryan-kerrigan-closes-era-washington-football
For the past 12 years of his record filled career, Kerrigan was rarely seen on the sidelines. Instead, he was in the thick of it, training as hard as he could while also pushing his teammates to their limits. Now, he can only watch the game he loves but can no longer play.
Last Friday, Kerrigan announced his retirement capping off his amazing 11 season career. During this time, he was the franchises’ all-time sack leader and was part of the Commanders roster for 10 seasons.
On May of 2021, doctors revealed the poor reports of his knee effectively ending his career. His knee problems stemmed from a injury in 2013 which tore his meniscus on his knee. With his last days of professional football dwindling, Kerrigan has used this time to reflect on his 12-year career. He announced in a statement, “Even though I know it’s the right decision, ultimately it’s still not easy to know that I’m not going to play football anymore, … [b]ut I just know where I’m at, health-wise and whatnot, that this is the best thing for me moving forward.”
Kerrigan’s long career makes him no stranger to dramatic moments. During his final days as a player, he thinks about all of his most tense and game winning moments. But most of his thoughts lead back to the moments in the locker room with his friends and family: “But it’s when I come back here to [the training facility] that I really am like, ‘That’s why I’ve loved this place,’ ” he said. “Because it’s all the relationships you built over the years with teammates, coaches, the people in the kitchen, the strength staff, [media]. . . . It’s hard to walk away, even though I know it’s the right thing.”
Link:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1659266118657x595420659224579200/Ryan%20Kerrigan%20retires%20from%20Washington%20and%20considers%20football%20career%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34317933/retirement-franchise-sacks-leader-ryan-kerrigan-closes-era-washington-football