NFL San Francisco 49ers

Marcus Lattimore Retires From NFL, Sets Sights on Bigger Things

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By @seankjensen

Getty Images

Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore announced his retirement from the NFL Wednesday afternoon.

His career ended too soon, undone by a horrific knee injury during his final collegiate season at South Carolina, his potential punctuated by the sheer fact that the 49ers still saw fit to select him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. We’ll never know what he could have done on the field, if healthy. But we do know what he can do off the field: Make an even bigger impact.

Consider his statement:

“After prayer and careful consideration, I have decided it’s time to end my professional football career. I have given my heart and soul to the game that I love, and it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life and help others. I have given every ounce of my energy toward making a full recovery from my knee injury, and I have made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, getting my knee fully back to the level the NFL demands has proven to be insurmountable.

I am grateful for the entire 49ers organization. Their decision to draft me was the realization of a lifelong dream to be an NFL player, and I cannot thank them enough for believing in me and for doing everything in their power to assist in my recovery. I will always be a 49er!

Though I am proud of what I have accomplished throughout my football career, I am sincerely disappointed that it must end, but I trust that God has a great plan for my future. As for what’s next, I will be returning to the University of South Carolina to complete my degree.”

No bitterness, no what ifs.

He’ll return to South Carolina to complete his degree, and he aspires to “help others.”

Former Gamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw sent a message on Twitter to his former teammate:

Too often, celebrated athletes think their life ends when they don’t perform on fields, diamonds, rings or courts. There are countless stories of athletes who squander fortunes and nosedive into despair when their careers end.

But there are many others that see the big picture, that recognize their career is a platform to even bigger and better things, opening doors to impact lives beyond standing ovations and last-minute goals and catches.

Although he’s 23, Lattimore appears to be among the fortunate ones that recognizes that – and we may all be better for it.

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