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Good interview with Ben Watson.
Eloquent as always
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In March, 39-year-old tight end Benjamin Watson announced his retirement after 15 NFL seasons, four teams (including two stints with New Orleans and New England) and one Super Bowl championship.
He and his wife, Kirsten, are the parents of seven children, and Watson is an executive vice president of the NFL Players Association and a prominent voice on topics within and beyond sports.
He recently spoke by phone with The Washington Post about his past and his future, ambition and pain. This transcript has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Q. So many athletes have a hard time walking away, and after returning for the 2019 season after announcing your retirement, that includes you. How do you know when it’s really time?
A. Before retiring — officially for real this time — I spoke with guys who retired before. Some guys say: “You know what? I knew I was done.”
Then I talked to some guys who are still, 10 years later, talking about how they still wished that they could play.
For me, it was where my family is right now: the fact that we have seven children, and we just had twins a year ago. I could probably play again, but it would be a one-year deal here, a one-year deal there.
And I just wanted to get to the point where you can figure out where you’re going to live and kind of settle down. You can keep going, but your body won’t last. You also start to think, “Okay, what is going to be my next life’s challenge?”
Q. Speaking of retirement, who steps away first: Tom Brady or Drew Brees?.............
Eloquent as always
=================
In March, 39-year-old tight end Benjamin Watson announced his retirement after 15 NFL seasons, four teams (including two stints with New Orleans and New England) and one Super Bowl championship.
He and his wife, Kirsten, are the parents of seven children, and Watson is an executive vice president of the NFL Players Association and a prominent voice on topics within and beyond sports.
He recently spoke by phone with The Washington Post about his past and his future, ambition and pain. This transcript has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Q. So many athletes have a hard time walking away, and after returning for the 2019 season after announcing your retirement, that includes you. How do you know when it’s really time?
A. Before retiring — officially for real this time — I spoke with guys who retired before. Some guys say: “You know what? I knew I was done.”
Then I talked to some guys who are still, 10 years later, talking about how they still wished that they could play.
For me, it was where my family is right now: the fact that we have seven children, and we just had twins a year ago. I could probably play again, but it would be a one-year deal here, a one-year deal there.
And I just wanted to get to the point where you can figure out where you’re going to live and kind of settle down. You can keep going, but your body won’t last. You also start to think, “Okay, what is going to be my next life’s challenge?”
Q. Speaking of retirement, who steps away first: Tom Brady or Drew Brees?.............
