6th Rounder Retires From NFL Before The End Of His First Training Camp

Ryan Swope, chosen in the 6th round (174th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, has announced his retirement from the NFL – citing concussions as the reason. He suffered a concussion during preseason training activities and followed his doctor’s advice.

“As a result of a concussion I suffered during OTAs, I was advised by doctors that there were serious risks in returning to play football at this point,” Swope said. “It has been a lifelong dream to play in the NFL but my long-term health interests outweigh my current goals for football. Because of that, I am electing to retire from the game for now and then reassess my future after this season. In the meantime, I plan to return to Texas A&M to pursue my degree.

“I want to thank the Arizona Cardinals organization for the opportunity and their support. I wish the team much success this season.”

Originally from : http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/25/cardinals-place-rookie-wr-ryan-swope-on-reserve-retired-list/

“We knew Ryan has a concussion history in college and understood that it could possibly be an issue,” Cardinals GM Steve Keim said…

Originally from : http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/25/cardinals-place-rookie-wr-ryan-swope-on-reserve-retired-list/

Ryan Swope Put On Reserve-Retired List – AZCardinals.com

http://news.google.comSat, 27 Jul 2013 21:27:42 GMT

AZCardinals.com Ryan Swope Put On Reserve-Retired List AZCardinals.com Wednesday, the Cardinals officially lost the gamble in choosing the Texas A&M wide receiver, after Swope was put on the reserve/retired list because of his ongoing concussion issues. …

Rookie Ryan Swope Retires From NFL “For Now” Thanks – Deadspin

http://deadspin.com Fri, 26 Jul 2013 02:55:00 GMT

Arizona Cardinals rookie Ryan Swope’s NFL career didn’t last past OTAs. Unlike most players who didn’t make it to training camp, this is his own decision–he’s ending his “lifelong dream” because of concussions.

Here at BlogTalkFootball, we respect his decision to get healthy first. A football player is only as good as his ability to stay healthy on the field. If he plays one season and is unable to continue because of concussions, who has he helped?

He knew, because of his history at Texas A & M, that he was susceptible to concussions (having suffered two last year with the Aggies). Should he have entered the draft at all or waited a year to see if he was fully recovered?