Ex-NFL star Bart Scott gets real on retiring from league: 'Started seeing spots and lights'
Scott was a Pro Bowler in 2006 and retired after the 2012 season
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bart Scott played 11 years in the NFL, between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, and walked away from the league after the 2012 season.
As the concussion that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered against the Buffalo Bills was the topic of conversation, Scott appeared on ESPN’s "Get Up" and talked about the real reason why he had decided to retire from the league.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}November 23, 2008; Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott (57) lines up against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
"Everybody thinks I retired because of my toe, right? But really it was because I started seeing spots and lights," Scott said, via Awful Announcing. "I had light sensitivity. I never really shared this with anybody. I feel inclined to do this in this intimate setting that we have.
"I didn’t know what to do. I was like, 'You know what? It’s time to fold it up.'"
Scott expressed that he’s had some second thoughts about retiring when he did.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}August 30, 2012; Philadelphia, PA: New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott (57) during warmups prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports)
"I tell people all the time, athletes have two deaths. You don’t know what to do. You wake up the next day, and you’re 30-years-old, or you’re 20-years-old, and you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life. And everything that you’ve done has been defined by being a football player. It’s not who you are, it’s what you do," he added.
Scott was an undrafted free agent when he started his career with Baltimore in 2002. He earned his only Pro Bowl selection during the 2006 season with the Ravens.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scott played in 172 career games, recorded 747 tackles and had 25 sacks.
November 17, 2011; Denver, CO; Denver Broncos running back Jeremiah Johnson (37) is tackled by New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott (57) during the first quarter at Sports Authority Field. (Chris Humphreys-USA Today Sports)
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NFL figures called on Tagovailoa to retire after the latest concussion he suffered.
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