Johnny Knox Retires From Football

Nov 27, 2011; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox (13) warms up before the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Oakland defeated Chicago 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports /

Just twenty four hours after having his contract terminated by the Chicago Bears, wide receiver Johnny Knox has announced that he will be hanging up his cleats for good and retiring from football. Knox first informed Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Time of his decision.

“As an athlete, you don’t want to give up, you want to keep on fighting. That’s how I’ve always been,” Knox said. “But it’s been on my heart for a while. I know how my body feels, and I know I’m not going to be the same and perform at the ability that I used to.

“So I’m moving on and going forward.

“I was centimeters away from being paralyzed, so just sitting here and talking, I’m appreciative of that. Just the hard work that I had to put in. Just to be able to stay in and do everything in my daily life that I used to do.”

Knox suffered a gruesome injury at the end of the 2011 season that resulted in him undergoing a spinal fusion and missing the entire 2012 season. Knox said the injury was the worst pain he had ever felt and it is nice to know that he is able to still fully function despite the scare.

Knox had a bright future ahead, but the injury unfortunately derailed his career.

He had hoped to make a NFL comeback, but the release from the Bears all but sealed his chances. We would like to wish Knox the best moving forward with his life and hope that he finds true happiness. He is a very mature man that has handled himself with grace and class through this entire situation.