Former First Overall Pick Ben Heenan Retires at 26

[jerrym]

Former first overall pick and 2013 Grey Cup Champion Ben Heenan has announced his retirement from professional football at age 26.
The announcement was made in a press release issued by Heenan’s agent Dan Vertlieb, according to multiple sources, as the 6-foot-4, 316-pound offensive lineman walks away from a four-year professional career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
Heenan has not yet spoken publicly about his decision other than a quote taken from the release thanking coaches, teammates and fans (https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/former-nfl-and-cfl-guard-ben-heenan-quits-football-at-26%E2%80%94to-turn-to-farming-232338075.html). ...
A native of Regina and graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Heenan was a fan favourite from the start in Riderville after becoming a first overall pick in the 2012 CFL Draft. He anchored a Rider O-line that powered the team to an historic victory on home turf in the 101st Grey Cup Championship, led by the league’s most dynamic rushing attack and eventual Grey Cup MVP Kory Sheets.
After one more season with the Riders in 2014, Heenan earned a look down south and eventually signed a three-year deal with the Colts. A severe knee injury in August led to his release, while in November the Colts signed Heenen to their practice squad.
Heenan was released Thursday by the Colts before announcing his retirement for unspecified reasons, although the Winnipeg Sun‘s Kirk Penton reports the decision is not injury-related (https://twitter.com/PentonKirk/status/718193224943153152).


http://www.cfl.ca/category/news/

[jerrym]

Ben Heenan's agent says his retirement is not injury related, but one has to wonder if it was due to concussions as the tweet following Kirk Penton's suggests.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Heenan&#39;s agent, Dan Vertlieb, says the decision was not injury related. Simply decided to move on in life. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFL?src=hash">#CFL</a></p>&mdash; Kirk Penton (@PentonKirk) <a href="https://twitter.com/PentonKirk/status/718193224943153152">April 7, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/PentonKirk">@PentonKirk</a> Do you think the fear of concussions, now a prominent thought in many minds, was a factor?</p>&mdash; morettiphd (@morettiphd) <a href="https://twitter.com/morettiphd/status/718507244078428160">April 8, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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[AngeloV]

Could be that he lost the passion to play ball. He wouldn't be the first to do so. Good luck to him.

[ArgoGabe22]

I read his true passion was farming and that he thought it was time to return to the family farm. The thought of future injuries and life after football may have still contributed to his decision though.

[R.J]

If he did leave for his love of farming - good for him; I'm a firm believer in doing what you love instead of doing a job just for money. In saying that; I have a feeling the NFL dream was over and there's more money in farming than the CFL. From what I've read; he was released a day or two before retiring.

[OV Argo]

Drag - don't like to see top notch Canadian talent choosing not to play in the CFL if they are wanted.

But - good luck to Ben - had a nice, but short pro career - got a GC and also rated an NFL look. Best wishes on the farm !

[KCargosfan]

Maybe Heenan takes a year off and returns to the Riders?

Several players have returned after a hiatus. It's actually good for their bodies to take a year off sometimes.

[ArgoRavi]

Doug Flutie has always said that the CFL put the fun back into football for him which implies that the NFL can take the fun out of the game for at least some. Maybe that is what happened to Heenan.

[argolio]

Doug Flutie has always said that the CFL put the fun back into football for him which implies that the NFL can take the fun out of the game for at least some. Maybe that is what happened to Heenan.I doubt it since he was only down there one year. I think it's more that football was never a passion for him.