Dallas Cowboys defensive back retires from NFL at age 28

At the age of 28, Leighton Vander EschFormer linebacker for dallas cowboysannounced this Monday withdrawal after six seasons nfl Because his body doesn’t give it anymore.

“I realize that I can no longer meet the standard of excellence that professional football demands, I say this with great regret; I am medically retiring from the NFL. I love football, but my The body can’t handle it anymore,” he said. the Dutch-born linebacker wrote in his farewell letter.

Leighton said goodbye to football after this Cowboy Announced that he had not been able to do so due to persistent neck injuries that he had sustained for a few years, preventing him from passing the medical examination. dallas Made a good choice to retain him.

“I have cherished every moment of my NFL career, playing for so long has been a huge blessing. Things may look a little different for me this year, but right now my only focus is being a great husband and father to my loving family. But it is.” Leighton added.

vendor ashonce selected pro bowlRetired with 71 games played, 469 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 passes defensed and three forced fumbles.

The Riggins, Idaho-born man’s career took off in 2018 when he was selected by the Lone Star team. contract In the first round of that year. jerry jonesowning to dallas cowboysExpressed regret over the young player’s premature retirement.

Jerry Jones said, “You rarely see a player like Leighton; his passion and love for the game was infectious. The moment he came in, he made a difference. His grit, toughness, drive, determination and football IQ will be greatly missed.” ,

What injuries did Leighton Vander Esch suffer?

his talent eclipsed Sports injuries In the neck that had been troubling him since his second season in the league; The team tried to protect his neck with a collar that protruded from the back of the helmet in each game,

In 2019 he Surgery To fix a nerve problem in the field, which caused him to abandon it Season before time. A year later he played in only 10 games due to a broken collarbone.

Another one in 2022 InjuryNow, he had to miss four games due to a niggle in his neck. These problems continued into the previous season in which he played only five matches Matchbox,