On August 13, 23-year-old San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee abruptly retired. No reason was given, no official report was released and naturally the rumors swirled.

One minute Coffee was diagnosed with a rare disease, the next he had simply had enough of the 49ers and coach Mike Singletary. It wasn’t until Coffee explained the reasoning behind his decision that the clamor surrounding it began to fade, only to be met with respect and admiration.

Coffee’s journey began while at Alabama. After a standout junior season for the Crimson Tide, Coffee decided to forego his senior year and enter the 2009 NFL Draft. He was selected in the third round by the 49ers and signed to a four-year, $2.578 million contract with an $828,000 signing bonus.

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