OT: Former Packers DB Sam Shields Now Says He Regrets NFL Career (SI)

[RadioRahim]

Former Packers DB Sam Shields Now Says He Regrets NFL Career - Sports Illustrated

“When you’re done with football, everybody forgets about you.”

www.si.com

“When you’re done with football, everybody forgets about you,” Shields said, per Audacy’s Jesse Pantuosco. “Family, friends. I got one friend. In football, I had 10. Now I got one where I know that that’s my friend. That I could really say, ‘You’re my friend.’ I don’t even talk to most of my family members. Once football was over, everybody was over with me.”

At one point during the conversation, Le Batard asked Shields if, given the chance, he would do his football career all over again.

“No,” Shields said. “I’d be going to school, trying to work for home improvement. I’d be trying to learn how to build a house.”

The interview is pretty interesting, and a sad reminder of what life is like for a lot of these guys after football... Hope there are more support systems and post-career counseling for players in the future given how short football careers are to begin with.

 

[San Amaro Dr]

If I could do life over, I'd have gone and played in the NFL.


In all seriousness, I hope Sam finds his way in life as this story and the clip I watched portrays him as unhappy.

 

[BostonCanes47]

I hope he finds peace in his life. Still a young dude. The world is your oyster.

 

[jevoasis]

Young man did better than even we expected. Was considered a bust for most of his time here and made a decent career. Guess what, the older you get the fewer friends you have. Live your life and go build houses.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

Former Packers DB Sam Shields Now Says He Regrets NFL Career - Sports Illustrated

“When you’re done with football, everybody forgets about you.”

www.si.com

“When you’re done with football, everybody forgets about you,” Shields said, per Audacy’s Jesse Pantuosco. “Family, friends. I got one friend. In football, I had 10. Now I got one where I know that that’s my friend. That I could really say, ‘You’re my friend.’ I don’t even talk to most of my family members. Once football was over, everybody was over with me.”

At one point during the conversation, Le Batard asked Shields if, given the chance, he would do his football career all over again.

“No,” Shields said. “I’d be going to school, trying to work for home improvement. I’d be trying to learn how to build a house.”

The interview is pretty interesting, and a sad reminder of what life is like for a lot of these guys after football... Hope there are more support systems and post-career counseling for players in the future given how short football careers are to begin with.

Was an absolute Beast in HS....Gets to UM and Shannon & Company completely misused him....

 

[Caneadian]

Hope he finds what he is looking for. But losing friends as you get older is kind of normal. I had a lot of friends 15 years ago, now I maybe have 2? And even those 2 I don't see a lot of. He can still go back to school and learn how to build homes.

Now if he has concussion stuff going on that's a whole other problem.

I feel weird even commentating on someone elses life, but he did do the interview, and out it out there

 

[caneworld]

Radio did him in... doghouse

 

[D7.]

Guess what, the older you get the fewer friends you have.

Ain't that the truth. Life has a funny way of weeding out people from your life.

 

[AlexCane]

I feel bad for the guy, but he seemingly lacks the maturity or experience to understand that once you no longer have $, a lot of "friends" won't be interested in you any more.

 

[AUcane]

I feel bad for the guy, but he seemingly lacks the maturity or experience to understand that once you no longer have $, a lot of "friends" won't be interested in you any more.

Well, tbh, I think he's been struck by the harsh reality that his hangerons were not a positive influence on him in general. Tough to see when you're in it. Sobering for him, I'm sure and a tough pill to swallow.

 

[hurricaneman]

I feel bad for the guy, but he seemingly lacks the maturity or experience to understand that once you no longer have $, a lot of "friends" won't be interested in you any more.

99.99% of the people on this planet would be victims of that. Odds say you are included in that number.

 

[Arehel]

Sounds like he is having a hard time with identify himself post career, which a lot of athletes have that problem.

 

[Brains]

Sounds like he is having a hard time with identify himself post career, which a lot of athletes have that problem.

When you have a singular focus for so long, it's a great strength. When it's over, there is often a void.

 

[cway313]

Sounds like he is having a hard time with identify himself post career, which a lot of athletes have that problem.































































When you have a singular focus for so long, it's a great strength. When it's over, there is often a void.















































































More so speaking to how people use you and only associate themselves for purpose of financial gain.

 

[Tad Footeball]

Sounds like he is having a hard time with identify himself post career, which a lot of athletes have that problem.

Exactly. Look at the world today and politics and how many people now basically derive their identity from being on one of those "teams".

If regular people yearn for that feeling/identity of being part of something then I can definitely understand how it would be massively exacerbated for an athlete that has had that their entire life (and all the associated adulation and benefits with sports) to basically have it all go away once your career is done as a relatively young man.

I think even the most well adjusted and successful "retired" former athletes of any level miss that level of brotherhood/sisterhood and general camaraderie pretty much more than anything else too. Once that naturally fades AND if you had a bunch of leeches on top of that then I'm sure it's tough for Sam too. Sometimes and especially with football, we don't realize that these dudes can be as sensitive as anyone else too. Hopefully some former teammates/friends reach out to him.

 

[AtlAtty]

This is not uncommon for athletes. You go from everyone caring about you; coaches, family, teammates, to a normal life like most of us have where its jsut family and a few friends. I think he will ultimately realize that the things he believes he missed out on are all still attainable.

 

[Empirical Cane]

Former Packers DB Sam Shields Now Says He Regrets NFL Career - Sports Illustrated

“When you’re done with football, everybody forgets about you.”

www.si.com

“When you’re done with football, everybody forgets about you,” Shields said, per Audacy’s Jesse Pantuosco. “Family, friends. I got one friend. In football, I had 10. Now I got one where I know that that’s my friend. That I could really say, ‘You’re my friend.’ I don’t even talk to most of my family members. Once football was over, everybody was over with me.”

At one point during the conversation, Le Batard asked Shields if, given the chance, he would do his football career all over again.

“No,” Shields said. “I’d be going to school, trying to work for home improvement. I’d be trying to learn how to build a house.”

The interview is pretty interesting, and a sad reminder of what life is like for a lot of these guys after football... Hope there are more support systems and post-career counseling for players in the future given how short football careers are to begin with.

Did he burn through his NFL $$$?

 

[JD08]

I hope he finds some happiness. Sometimes that takes a while in life.

 

[CaneinBroward]

Hopefully he is open to getting some counseling. Sad to hear he is struggling.

Of course we are all dealing in conjecture, but he appears to have some of the tell-tale signs of CTE as far as his behavior - withdrawal from friends and family, hopelessness, etc.

 

[ben]

Was an absolute Beast in HS....Gets to UM and Shannon & Company completely misused him....

I love Shannon but man he misused a lot of dudes.