Former Indiana Hoosiers star QB and Pittsburgh Steelers wideout, Antwaan Randal El, widely recognized by Steelers Nation for the TD pass he threw to Hines Ward in Super Bowl XL, dropped a bit of a bombshell today, one that the NFL wishes it hadn’t read.
In an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Randal El says that he wishes he had never played football. He said he suffers from memory lapses and has trouble walking down the steps.
If I could go back, I wouldnt (play football). I would play baseball. I got drafted by the Cubs in the 14th round, but I didnt play baseball because of my parents. They made me go to school. Dont get me wrong, I love the game of football. But right now I could still be playing baseball.
He went on to say:
I ask my wife things over and over again, and shes like, I just told you that. Ill ask her three times the night before and get up in the morning and forget. Stuff like that.
He also said that he’s certain that the game won’t change because it’s so violent.
Theres no correcting it. Theres no helmet thats going to correct it. Theres no teaching thats going to correct it. It just comes down to its a physically violent game. Football players are in a car wreck every week.
Randal El, the only receiver to throw a TD in the Super Bowl, is now a school administrator at a school he helped found, Virginia Academy in Ashburn, Va. Not surprisingly, Virginia Academy has dropped its football program. At age 36, he regrets playing and worries about the future.
I have to be on my knees praying about it, asking God to allow me to not have these issues and live a long life. I want to see my kids raised up. I want to see my grandkids.
