>Chris Borland knows firsthand all about the challenges of early retirement http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/saquon-barkley-jersey , having stepped away from a promising football career after one year because of concerns over head injuries.Instead of playing in front of boisterous crowds on the big NFL stage, Borland spends his time now helping other football players and military veterans make that adjustment to their new lives that often lack the thrill and competitiveness of life in the armed forces or professional sports.“One healthy thing I’d like for players to know, whether they’re active or former, is you likely can’t replicate the thrill of playing before 100,000 people and big hits and making that much money,” Borland said. “We can get ourselves into trouble trying to. Coming to terms with transitioning is one of the harder lessons I’ve had to learn the last couple of years, is that life is a little more methodical than in sports. The peaks aren’t as high and the valleys aren’t as low.“That’s an adjustment we have to make.”Borland, whose brothers Joe and John serve in the Army, sees similar retirement challenges for veterans, who like football players often have to deal with physical injuries and mental problems that are far less obvious as they go into society.“It would be ill-advised to compare war and a sport, but I don’t think the brain knows the difference,” Borland said. “With post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries in blasts with veterans, we see a very similar and somewhat unique issue with repetitive brain injuries in football. There are very similar physical struggles, but also two populations that have a hard time transitioning out whether it is the military or football and reintegrating into society.”Borland has tried to bridge those two populations with his work with the After the Impact Fund , which facilitates custom treatment plans for veterans and athletes with traumatic brain injuries.He is raising money and awareness for the issue this week by taking part in “Pat’s Run” on Saturday in Tempe Odell Beckham Jr Jersey Youth , Arizona, alongside his brothers Joe and John. The run is named after Pat Tillman, who gave up his own promising NFL career to join the Army in 2002 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and died while serving in Afghanistan in 2004.“A lot of what you do as a teammate is you sacrifice for others and support others,” John Borland said. “There are people we’ve all been teammates with, for us it’s soldiers. For Chris, it’s ex-football players. You don’t just forget your teammates as soon as the game is over. They’re still your teammates. There are people who still need support, who worked hard and are with you. These are guys you shared blood with.”John Borland is a major in the U.S. Army, an instructor at West Point and also served in Iraq. Joe Borland is a captain in the US Army JAG Corps who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, returning just last month from his latest tour.They see plenty in common with what their friends in the military deal with after leaving the service and what ex-athletes go through as well.“The similarities and the overlap is they both are young when they start off and young when they’re done as well for the most part,” Joe Borland said. “They potentially would have suffered similar injuries but in a different way. The impacts in the NFL and the impacts we might have with an explosion or trauma in the military can be similar.”Those brain injuries are why the 27-year-old Borland retired from football three years ago in a decision that shocked many outsiders, but was one his brothers knew came from careful consideration.Borland was a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft by San Francisco after a stellar college career at Wisconsin, where he was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-American in 2013.Borland led the 49ers in tackles as a rookie and was named to the all-rookie team and was a Pro Bowl alternate before stepping away for a post-playing career that includes a company he started, T Mindful, to help bring meditation into sports.“About 10 percent of the time, I miss 3 to 5 percent of the game Derrius Guice Redskins Jersey ,” Borland said. “I look back and I’m happy that I played. I’m not wistful. You miss big games. I miss the locker room camaraderie. Sometimes I miss the lifestyle. It’s great to get around old players because in a society where people like to dance around topics, it’s good to be around like-minded people who cut the BS and are able to rib one another. I enjoyed that. But I don’t long for it or reminisce daily. A piece of my heart will always be in football, but my mind ended it.”Borland, who started playing tackle football in ninth grade, finds it preposterous that children are still playing the sport with fewer rules protecting them than the adults in the pros.Even the rules in the NFL like limits on contact in practice and a recent rule change to outlaw leading with the helmet are only small steps.“Those are all incremental improvements,” Borland said. “A lot of it is PR. When they do those things, they’re able to say the game is safer than ever. Safer than ever is a euphemism for dangerous and football is inherently dangerous. The way it’s played, if it’s going to retain what it is as a game, it will always be dangerous. What’s not being done that could be are measures outside the lines like waiting until high school to play and having high schools and colleges adopt the same contact rules as the NFL.” Days before opening training camp, the Cleveland Browns learned Josh Gordon will be missing again.

For how long remains unclear.

The troubled wide receiver, who has been suspended numerous times over the past six years by the NFL for drug violations, said on Twitter that he won’t be with the team for the start of camp as he continues to recover from addictions that have derailed his once-promising career.

Gordon has missed two full years after being indefinitely suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell and hasn’t played a complete season since 2013, when he led the league in yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns.

While Gordon’s social media post was vague, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the 27-year-old has not been suspended.

”We will address the matter at the appropriate time,” McCarthy said in an email to The Associated Press Hayden Hurst Ravens Jersey , adding ”there’s no timetable” on Gordon’s return.

Gordon’s disclosure came as the Browns are preparing to begin camp under coach Hue Jackson following a 0-16 season.

The team overhauled its roster during the offseason, adding former Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry and a few other potential starters in trades before drafting Heisman Trophy-winning QB Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick.

Gordon had been a major part of Cleveland’s plans for 2018, but those could now be on hold.

In recent weeks, rumors that Gordon failed a drug test circulated on social media. But it wasn’t until he posted his message Monday that it became known he could be sidelined again.

”I am reaching out to you all personally and letting you know that I am not only doing great physically but mentally as well,” Gordon wrote in a statement directed to ”my Cleveland Browns and NFL Family.”

”You will notice that I will not be in Cleveland for the start of training camp. Rest assured, this, too, is a part of my overall health and treatment plan. I appreciate the awesome support I have received from teammates, friends, fans, and the Browns organization. Just like you, I am excited to start the season and I have every intention of being ready and available to join my teammates soon to help bring winning football to our fans.”

Gordon later followed up with a tweet that said, ”Thanks again.. See ya soon.”

Because he is in Stage 3 of the NFL’s substance-abuse program, Gordon is subject to random drug testing. He faces another indefinite suspension for any violation.

Gordon has missed 43 of Cleveland’s past 48 games because of suspensions. Last year Aaron Rodgers Packers Jersey , he was reinstated by Goodell following a three-month stay in a rehab facility. He returned for the Browns’ final five games and caught 18 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown.

Before he returned, Gordon revealed the depths of his substance abuse, saying he had never played in an NFL game sober.

Gordon participated in Cleveland’s offseason programs, and the team has been encouraged by his commitment to staying clean and active.

Browns general manager John Dorsey said the team has Gordon’s back.

”We will continue to support Josh as he receives the care needed to maintain his progress,” Dorsey said. ”We are going to respect his privacy while he is away from the team. Josh will be placed on the non-football illness reserve list until he is ready to return.”

Cleveland will have its first practice Thursday. Gordon’s announcement is another blow to an organization trying to rebuild following numerous losing seasons. The Browns haven’t been to the playoffs since 2002 and have lost at least 10 games in 15 seasons since 1999.

During minicamp last month, Gordon claimed to be in the best shape of his life and boasted that with he and Landry, the Browns had the league’s best receiving corps.

Gordon also said he felt fortunate to be getting another chance.

”Right now for me it’s a bunch of the small victories day to day, just being able to come to work,” he said on June 12. ”Like the little, little things. Having some structure in my life.”
Gordon has played in just 40 career games since the Browns selected him in the 2012 supplemental draft.

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