Former Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain said he had to leave the NFL because he was concerned that he would do something he would regret.
In an interview with ESPN Magazine, McClain said, “I felt like Aaron Hernandez, like I just wanted to kill somebody,”
Back in April, McClain was fired from the Oakland Raiders, then picked up by the Baltimore Ravens but soon retired from the game altogether. He was only 23 years old.
He returned to Tuscaloosa to re-enroll in the University of Alabama to complete his degree.
According to ESPN:
“From the moment he signed a contract with the Raiders for a guaranteed $23 million, he became the target of friends and relatives. During a six-month span, he said he spent almost $600,000, mostly on cars, to satisfy requests for money.
“He started to lose his love for the game and kept getting into trouble off the field. In December 2011, he was arrested in a shooting. In January 2013, he was arrested for having his car windows tinted too dark and for providing a false identity to police. Ten days after signing with the Ravens, he was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.”
McClain felt that if he continued that path he “would have ended up locked in a cage like an animal. That had to be the only outcome.”
McClain has since started a new life, leaving behind most of his old crew and family. ESPN reported that he told most of his friends and family that he’s starting a new life without them.
