After their professional careers wind down, most NFL stars prefer staying close to the game. Many join a television panel, others start their own podcasts, and a few try their hand at coaching. However, a few Pro Bowlers and household names have chosen to leave the glamour and limelight after their careers ended, with some even doing so at the peak of their careers.
Andrew Luck quit a $140 million contract aged just 29, Jake Plummer left the huddle for a mushroom farm in Colorado, and Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis left for Silicon Valley, taking a desk job. Jeremy Shockey became private in Miami. Robert Smith retired at 28 after a 1,521-yard season to become an amateur astronomer.
