Former Browns and Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron retired from the NFL at age 28 last week after suffering the fourth concussion of his career last season. He doesn’t sound like he’ll miss it.
Cameron said that contrary to what some fans might think, he and his fellow NFL players didn’t necessarily love the game.
“I don’t think a lot of these guys love football, to be honest,” Cameron told ESPN. “A lot of them don’t. You play for other reasons, and every guy has their own reason. They know why, and as long as your why is really important, you keep playing without really loving football. Because really, who loves to get hit in 10-degree weather by a 280-pound person? Really, no one likes that. ‘Do you love football?’ I couldn’t stand when people asked me that.”
Cameron said the players who are truly passionate about the game are a minority.
“Do you really love football?” he said. “A lot of guys don’t really love it. There’s a few guys that love it. Ray Lewis loves football. Peyton Manning. They love it. But a lot of guys don’t really love this game, and there are players that will read this who will understand exactly what I’m talking about.”
Now that Cameron has made around $20 million in the NFL, he’s pleased to get out and move on with his life, perhaps finding something that he does love to do.