John Urschel releases statement on why he’s retiring from the NFL

In a shocking move, John Urschel let the Baltimore Ravens know he was not coming to training camp this morning, after a phone call to John Harbaugh at 6:22 AM. Rather than prepare for the regular season, Urschel opted to hang up his cleats for good.

After the Ravens released the news, and media caught up, everybody’s waited eagerly for his official statement. Finally, Urschel gives his reasoning.

To those that can’t read the tweet below:

“Thank you to everyone for the kind words today. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I believe it was the right one for me. There’s no big story here, and I’d appreciate the right to privacy.

I’m extremely grateful to the Ravens, and blessed to have been able to play the game I love at the highest level. It is a great game. There are some games — like the playoff game at Pittsburgh — that I will never forget.

I’m excited to start working on my doctorate in mathematics full time at MIT. I’m looking forward to the chance to take courses that are only offered in the fall semester, while spending time with my fiance and preparing myself for the new challenges that will come with fatherhood. We’re expecting our first child in December.”

First of all, congratulations to you, John Urschel. Congrats to you and your fiance, that’s wonderful news.

Secondly, he isn’t burning bridges, or trashing the league on his way out. He’s leaving for his passion of education. Good for him.