Idle for the entire 2016 NFL season following his release by the New England Patriots at the end of preseason camp, former Patriots center Bryan Stork on Tuesday night posted a message on his Twitter account announcing he intended to “step away” from football.
“I can’t say I’m retiring because I’m only 26 but I have decided to officially step away from playing the game of football which I will always love dearly,’’ Stork wrote.
Stork dealt with concussion issues when he played at Florida State, where he won a national championship as a senior, and during his first two seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, for whom he played 21 games, starting 17, and helped win Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
His last season in New England in 2015, Stork was limited to eight games, making six starts.
“Life is like a game of poker,’’ Stork concluded, quoting a lyric from the Kenny Rogers song “The Gambler.”
“Know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.”