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Brady hendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash .– A day after re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks, veteran tight end Luke Willson says he’s stepping away from football.
In a report posted Wednesday on TwitterWillson, 31, wrote that he had spent days in hospital this offseason with severe pericardial effusion, which is a buildup of extra fluid in the space around the heart
“This situation really challenged me as an individual and changed my perspective on a lot of things about my life,” Willson wrote. “After thinking about everything yesterday and being in the building, I decided it was time for me to start the next chapter in my life.”
– Luke Willson (@ LWillson_82) 25 August 2021
The Seahawks released Willson on Wednesday, leaving them an opening on their 80-man roster.
They brought him back for a fourth stint with the team on Tuesday. It was to bolster their depth as Colby Parkinson faces a foot injury that could sideline him after their Sept. 12 opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
Willson was a member of the 2013 Seahawks squad that won Super Bowl XLVIII, having been drafted in the fifth round that year by Rice, as well as the 2014 squad that failed to repeat Super Bowl XLIX. He spent his first five seasons with Seattle and returned in 2019 after a year with the Detroit Lions and an offseason stint with the Raiders. He spent time with the Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens last year.
In 102 career games, Willson has 111 catches for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns. That doesn’t include his most famous play, a 2-point conversion that will carry on in Seahawks tradition. Willson caught a shot of desperation from Russell Wilson late in the fourth quarter of the 2014 NFC Championship game, as part of the Seahawks’ unlikely return to the Green Bay Packers.
Willson’s energy and jovial personality have made him a fan favorite and a popular player in the Seattle locker room. He was the ancestor of their Techno Thursday movement in 2017, which made players dance on the training ground as techno music echoed through the speakers.
“Some people just have more juice than others,” coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday after Willson took part in practice. “Luke has always been a big part of this for us and just one of my favorites that we’ve had on the show over the years.”
In his statement, Willson thanked the Seahawks, their fans, his hometown of LaSalle, Ont., And the coaches and teachers who have helped him along his journey.
“I have always done my best to be a true representation of the characteristics that make up our region,” he wrote. “I hope I made you proud.
“Football is really all I know. It’s all I’ve done for the past 2 decades. I’ll be honest I have no idea what’s next at the moment. But whatever that is. either, you can be sure that I will bring a lot of energy to this. “
Willson’s departure leaves the Seahawks with five tight ends: Gerald Everett, Will Dissly, Tyler Mabry, Parkinson and Cam Sutton.
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