"Oh man, it was tough. I stopped watching football. It just made me mad just seeing the clips, seeing the game and just wishing that I was out there."
"Once I started coaching, I found the love once again ... I felt like I found my purpose when I was playing. I knew what my purpose was, to come out here and be the best version of myself again. When I didn't have that, it was like, 'OK, who am I now? What am I going to do?' And to have that with these kids, it was great. They make me smile. They made me fall back in love with football."
Shaquille Leonard announced his retirement from the Indianapolis Colts and will be honored at the team's upcoming home game. Leonard stopped watching football after stepping away from the game because seeing highlights made him want to be on the field. He returned to his former high school, Lake View High in South Carolina, and became the defensive coordinator, where coaching restored his passion for the sport. Leonard described coaching as reconnecting with his purpose and said working with the kids made him smile and helped him fall back in love with football. He attended the news conference with his wife and three children.
Read at ESPN.com
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