Former football star Antwaan Randle El: 'If I could go back, I wouldn't' play

Antwaan Randle El.
(Image credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Plagued by physical and memory issues, former Pittsburgh Steeler Antwaan Randle El is speaking out about the toll football has taken on his body, saying that if he could go back in time, he never would have started playing.

"I would play baseball," the 36-year-old, who famously threw a touchdown pass as a wide receiver during Super Bowl XL, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in an interview. "Don't get me wrong, I love the game of football. But, right now, I could still be playing baseball." Randle El is having difficulty walking down stairs and remembering things, often having to ask his wife the same question multiple times. "I try to chalk it up as I'm busy, I'm doing a lot, but I have to be on my knees praying about it, asking God to allow me to not have these issues and live a long life," he said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.