Husain Abdullah Announces Retirement from NFL on Instagram

Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah announced his retirement from the NFL on March 28, becoming the latest player to cite the long-term concerns over repeated head injuries. 

"There are numerous deciding factors in my decision, with personal health being foremost," Abdullah wrote in an Instagram post. "Sitting for five weeks last year after suffering the fifth concussion of my career, I had a lot to contemplate. My goals moving forward are to be of benefit to my family, my community, my country and hopefully the world. Having a sound mind will be vital in accomplishing these goals."

On Monday, he explained more about his decision in a column on The Players' Tribune:

"

I had to get out of that basement.

My two kids and I were playing basketball on their Little Tikes hoop — you know, the plastic one with the blue post and the bright orange rim that just about every kid had growing up. We had only been going at it for about two or three minutes, and they were running circles around me. We were having a great time.

But I had to get out of there.

I was getting dizzy.

Twenty-five years old, a four-year NFL veteran, a professional athlete, and I couldn’t keep up with a couple of preschoolers. The room just started spinning.

I had to go upstairs and lie in bed.

I had to close my eyes.

I had to make it stop.

[...]

But I did not retire out of fear. I retired because I had come to terms with my own medical history. If I had not suffered five concussions in my NFL career, maybe I would still be playing. But the fact is, I did suffer those concussions, and that tips the scale of risk to a point where the potential consequences outweigh the benefits for me.

"

For more from Abdullah about his decision, check out his column on The Players' Tribune.

The 30-year-old spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He finishes his career with 289 total tackles and six interceptions.   

A backup for the majority of his career, Abdullah stepped into the starting lineup for the Chiefs in 2014 when Eric Berry sat out the season after being diagnosed with cancer. He recorded 71 tackles and made one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. The Washington State product previously set career highs in tackles (75) and interceptions (three) during a 2010 run in the Vikings' starting secondary.

That run, unfortunately, was ended prematurely by concussions. Abdullah was limited to just nine games in the 2011 season after suffering his fourth concussion in 15 months. He stepped away for the entire 2012 season, choosing to go on The Hajj—"a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that all Muslims are supposed to make once in a lifetime, provided they have the health and the wealth," as described by Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

The Chiefs took a chance signing Abdullah once he returned, and it largely paid off. He was solid in Berry's role throughout the 2014 season and even started three games as a replacement in 2015. The Chiefs had yet to make any indication of whether he'd return for the 2016 campaign—he was an unrestricted free agent—but Abdullah was clear in his appreciation for the organization.

"After sitting out of football to fulfill my Hajj Pilgrimage in 2012, The Chiefs were the first to call," he wrote. "The three years I spent playing for KC may have been the most enjoyable football experience in my entire life. Thank you."

Abdullah joins an ever-growing list of players who stepped away before the NFL pushed them out the door. Calvin Johnson and Marshawn Lynch were the two biggest names this offseason, and they appear to be part of a growing trend of young men trying to walk away while their bodies are still intact.

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