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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Washington – A day after re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks, veteran Luke Willson says he is moving away from football.
In a statement posted Wednesday on Twitter, Willson, 31, wrote that he spent days in hospital during this off-season with a severe pericardial effusion, which is an accumulation of extra fluid in the space around the heart
“This situation has really challenged me as an individual and changed my perspective on a lot of things in terms of my life,” Willson wrote. “After thinking about everything yesterday and being in the building, I’ve decided it’s time to start with the next chapter of my life.”
– Luke Willson (@ LWillson_82) August 25, 2021
The Seahawks pitched Willson Wednesday and left them open on their 80-man roster.
On Tuesday they had him back for a fourth stage with the team. This was to bolster his depth as Colby Parkinson faced a foot injury that could keep him out of his first game on Sept. 12 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Willson was a member of the 2013 Seahawks team that won Super Bowl XLVIII, after being selected in the fifth round that year with Rice, as well as the 2014 team that was within walking distance of repeat in Super Bowl XLIX. He spent his first five seasons with Seattle and returned in 2019 after a year with the Detroit Lions and an off-season with the Raiders. Last year he spent time with the Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens.
In 102 career games, Willson has 111 catches for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns. This does not include his most famous work, a 2-point conversion that will live up to the Seahawks tradition. Willson caught Russell Wilson’s despair at the end of the fourth quarter of the 2014 NFC Championship game, which is part of the Seahawks ’unlikely return against the Green Bay Packers.
Willson’s playful energy and personality made him a fan favorite and a popular player in the Seattle locker room. He was the progenitor of his Techno Thursday movement in 2017, which made players dance on the practice field while techno music resonated through the speakers.
“Some people just have more juice than others,” coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday after Willson participated in the practice. “Luke has always been a big part of this for us and just one of my favorites we’ve had on the show over the years.”
In his statement, Willson thanked the Seahawks, his fans, his hometown of LaSalle, Ontario, and the coaches and teachers who have helped him along the way.
“I have always tried to do my best to be a true representation of the characteristics that make up our area,” he wrote. “I hope I made you feel proud.
“Football is really all I know. It’s everything I’ve done over the last two decades. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what’s coming at the moment. But whatever it is, you can be sure I’ll bring a lot of energy.” .
Willson’s departure leaves the Seahawks with five tight ends: Gerald Everett, Will Dissly, Tyler Mabry, Parkinson and Cam Sutton.