Canadian tight end Luke Willson has retired from the NFL one day after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, he announced on Twitter.
After signing with the Seahawks yesterday, I have decided to walk away from the game of football. This off-season I went through some health issues and spent numerous days in the hospital with a severe pericardial effusion. That situation has really challenged me as an individual and changed my perspective on a lot of things with regards to my life.
I want to first say thank you to the Seahawks organization. I am eternally grateful for everything this organization has given to me. Thank you for the memories, the life lessons, and all of the relationships I have built.
To the city of Seattle and the 12s: the love and support you’ve shown me throughout my time here has been truly special. Thank you. You really are the best fans in the world.
And last but not least, to my homeland… specifically Windsor/Essex country and my hometown of LaSalle, Ontario: thank you. The opportunities I was given throughout my childhood gave me a chance to dream and one day make that dream a reality. Thank you to the coaches, teachers, and everyone who has been a part of this journey. I have always tried my best to be a true representation of the characteristics that make up our area. I hope I’ve made you proud.
Football is really all I know. It’s all I’ve done for the last 2 decades. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what’s next at the moment, but whatever it is, you can be sure that I will bring a lot of energy back to it.
-Luke Willson
Willson appeared in 85 games for the Seahawks over seven seasons, starting 44 with 97 catches for 1,208 yards and 11 touchdowns while playing on two Super Bowl teams. Seattle drafted the Rice University product in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
A year earlier, the Toronto Argonauts picked Wilson in the fifth round, 32nd overall during the CFL draft.
The 31-year-old caught the most famous two-point conversion in team history, a catch that gave the Seahawks a three-point lead late in their NFC Championship Game victory over the Packers. Willson has 13 catches for 154 yards and one score in the playoffs, including two receptions when Seattle routed Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII.
