Former New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott revealed the true motivation behind his retirement during a Friday appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
During a discussion about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who recently suffered another serious concussion, Scott dove into details behind his retirement that he had not shared before.
“Everybody thinks I retired because of my toe. I had reconstructive surgery on my toe when I left,” Scott said. “But really, it was because I started seeing spots and lights. I didn’t know what to do. I was like, you know what? It’s time to fold it up.”
Scott continued to explain that hanging up the cleats was a very difficult decision.
“Sometimes I regret that I walked away, because you have to live with that,” he said. “Leaving the game that you dedicated your entire life to is like a death. I tell people all the time that athletes have two deaths. You don’t know what to do, you wake up the next day and you’re 30 years old, 20 years old, and you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life.”
The 11-year NFL veteran concluded, “Everything that you’ve done has been defined by being a football player. It’s not who you are. It’s what you do. But all the laws and everything that we’ve learned and all the best qualities of us were learned on the football field. How to work with others, and how to be accountable. Now you’re not a part of that, and it’s the loneliest feeling in the world.”
The Detroit native signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent following the 2002 NFL draft. Scott spent the first seven seasons of his career with his Ravens before signing with the Jets following the 2008 season, where he spent the final four seasons of his career. The former All-Pro helped lead the Jets to two consecutive AFC title games in 2009 and 2010.
Scott remains a fan favorite. He is still remembered for his iconic quote “Can’t wait!” from an interview after the Jets’ upset victory over the New England Patriots in the Divisional round of the 2010 playoffs.
