Professional athletes retire from their respective sports for a variety of different reasons. But Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s potential reason for retiring from NASCAR is something any athlete can relate to.
Given how hard he’s worked to return to racing after last season’s concussion-related absence, many fans are left wondering why he’s deciding to leave the sport. But with so much information on concussions available nowadays, athletes such as Earnhardt are being more careful than ever before.
When asked Tuesday about whether health contributed to Earnhardt’s decision, ESPN reporter Marty Smith offered a sobering take on the driver’s post-concussion mindset.
“Quite a bit,” Smith said on “SportsCenter.” “Look, there’s no debating that. When you’re laying in bed as he was and you get out of bed and you struggle to get yourself to the bathroom, or you struggle to get yourself to the kitchen because your equilibrium is off, because your eyes aren’t working in unison, that changes you.
“He didn’t care about racing cars when he was suffering from those terrible post-concussion symptoms. He told me, ‘I didn’t care if I’d ever race again at that time. I just wanted to get better. I just want to be able to watch my wife walk down the aisle without fear of throwing up or falling over.’ So of course it plays into his decision.”
Regardless of Earnhardt’s reasoning for retirement, NASCAR soon will be left without a driver who’s been the face of the sport for nearly two decades.
Thumbnail photo via Peter Casey/USA TODAY Sports Images
