Former New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, who called it a career after eight NFL seasons and one with the Giants, is at peace with his decision and is looking ahead to a new, football-free life.
"I reached a point where I don't have that 100 percent to give to the process," Waller told TMZ Sports. "I don't think that's fair to teammates, or fans, or organizations that are expecting me to give that. That's why I came to the decision I made."
Waller has been trying to launch a music career for a while and believes that having freed up a lot more time will allow him to do that and other things he’s never really been able to do while going through life in the NFL.
“I definitely want to pour a lot into my creativity,” Waller said. “I want to do things that I want to do, and I’m going to invest time in that. But I’m also going to continue to be what I’ve done for addiction and mental health, that kind of advocacy.”
As part of his fresh start in life, Waller revealed he changed his phone number, which only a select number of people now have. He also said he hasn’t given up on finding love again, even after his brief, one-year marriage to WNBA star Kelsey Plum ended in divorce this past April.
“Going into relationships, I had to be codependent and tap dance to please the partner," Waller said. "Or I had to self-sabotage the relationship before the other person did because of things that happened to me when I was younger. My whole definition of love has to change, and that's a lot of the work I'm doing right now."
Waller, who said he has no plans to come out of retirement, appeared in 12 games for the Giants last season. He caught 52 balls (third most on the team) for 552 yards and one touchdown in his injury-shortened season.
