Daunte Culpepper Retires
On October 23, 2008, Daunte Culpepper announced he was re-considering his retirement and would entertain offers to return to the National Football League. He has initiated negotiations with the Detroit Lions after visiting their morning workout on October 28. Culpepper notified the Kansas City Chiefs that the Lions were the more attractive team to him and he would more likely sign with them.1
Fast Facts
- Retired September 4, 20082
- Made announcement via e-mail to NFL.com2
- Age 31 at the time of retirement2
- Recovered from a career threatening injury in 20052
- 11th pick in the 1999 NFL Draft2
- Culpepper doesn't have an agent and represents himself in negotiations2
- Culpepper was offered back-up jobs with Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers2
Original Lack of Interest
Culpepper, a former Pro Bowl quarterback, announced on September 4, 2008 that he was retiring from the NFL. Culpepper was 31 at the time of the announcement. He claimed that one of the reasons for his decision to retire was the lack of interest by teams in the league for his services. Culpepper retired after playing for the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders. He finished his career with 142 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 89.9.2
Reconsidering Retirement
"Now that there are some real opportunities that match my desire to play, I will choose the one that is the best fit for both the team and me so that I can continue my NFL career. For the second half of this season, I hope to play a role in helping a team win some games."—Daunte Culpepper3
Daunte Culpepper Retirement Quotes
"I have been strongly encouraged from family, friends and league personnel to continue to be patient and wait for an inevitable injury to one of the starting quarterbacks in the league. I would rather shut the door to such 'opportunity' than continue to wait for one of my fellow quarterbacks to suffer a serious injury. Since I was not given a fair chance to come in and compete for a job, I would rather move on and win in other arenas of life."2
"I want to thank my family and my fans for their unwavering belief in me as a person and a player. I embraced both the peaks and the valleys of the game and my career. I am a better person today as a direct result of the experience of playing in the NFL."2
Related Pages on Mahalo
Daunte Culpepper | Minnesota Vikings | Miami Dolphins | Oakland Raiders | Green Bay Packers | Pittsburgh Steelers | Donovan McNabb | Randy Moss | Michael Vick | National Football League | Brad Johnson | Brett Favre | JaMarcus Russell
Categories
