Texans' Arian Foster nearly retired after back injury in 2013

The back injury that ended the 2013 season for Arian Foster nearly also ended his NFL career.

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Foster, 27, sat down with ESPN’s Hannah Storm to discus the scary back injury he suffered that limited to eight games for the Houston Texans last year and how close he came to retirement.

"Storm: Was there ever a point when you wondered about your future in the game? When you thought, what am I doing here?Foster: Absolutely. Any time an athlete goes through an injury like that — a back, a neck, even knees or hips, something that puts you out for the entire season — you kind of re-evaluate your life. You see what’s really important. Is getting paralyzed more important than playing with your grand kids when you’re 50, 60 years old. People die on the football field. This is a really brutal sport. Going through an injury like that, being 27 years old, I’m young, still I’m at the prime of my career. Is it worth it to try to come back?"

It is scary that one play can end a player’s career in the middle of their prime as we saw that happen with David Wilson, 23, of the New York Giants as a result of neck injuries and Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Jason Pinkston, 26, who had to retire because of blood clots in his lungs.

Thankfully for Foster and the Texans, his career will continue this year as he attempts to have a bounce-back season, but is working his way back from a hamstring injury suffered in late-July.

Unlike last year, there is no Ben Tate around as he signed with the Browns in the offseason meaning a healthy Foster is imperative for the Texans to get back to the postseason, especially with questions at quarterback.

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Houston Texans’ Arian Foster nearly retired after back injury

By Patrick Schmidt | Aug 4, 2014