Fins' Channing Crowder: Retirement Felt Right
MIAMI (CBS4) - The Miami Dolphins will be missing one of their most vocal players when they take the field for the 2011 season after Channing Crowder announced his retirement on Tuesday.
The veteran linebacker sat down with CBS4's Jim Berry in Crowder's South Florida home and says the decision not to return to the NFL was a choice that felt right.
"I always follow my gut, and that's why I'm such an emotional player. In all aspects of my life I'm just an emotional person," said Crowder. "When my mind brought that in and told me, you know, maybe hang it up, see what you're doing here."
After being cut from the Fins on July 29, Crowder reportedly worked out with the New England Patriots and had several other clubs interested in signing him, but turned them all down.
The former University of Florida Gator spent 6 years in the NFL, all in Miami. He finished with 33 tackles in 11 games for the 2010 season. He was sidelined for five with injuries.
Another big reason kept Crowder from chasing a career in with another organization: his expanding family.
"I'm okay financially, I have a beautiful wife, all my family down in South Florida. To up and leave with a month left of her pregnancy, I just couldn't do that as a man," said Crowder.
Crowder says he has some doubts about the direction the Fins have taken, particularly at the quarterback position.
"I'm not sold on Chad Henne at all, like everybody else isn't. And I think he'd be a great backup. It's gonna be seen here in the next couple weeks if he can be that starter, that Super Bowl, Dan Marino type guy, but in my opinion, he's not," said Crowder. "In my opinion that should have been one of the first things taken care of in free agency, which it wasn't.
Crowder, who has done a stint as a radio talk show host on 560 WQAM, may be pursuing a career behind the mic instead, according to his agent Joel Segal.
"I think Channing has made a permanent decision to retire and pursue a career in broadcasting," Segal said. "He's a passionate guy. He loves football. He loved playing for Dolphins. Once that chapter ended, I think he's ready to move on."
To hear more about Crowder's decision to retire, catch CBS4's Sportswrap at 11:35 p.m. Sunday, August 14.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
