When I go back to NFL functions today, I feel a bit on the outside looking in. I played 13 years in the NFL, and I loved it - made a Pro Bowl and went to the playoffs - but I always felt like I was having to knock the door down to get in.

My first two years in the CFL, all I thought of was getting back to the NFL - it was like 'I'll put my time in up here and go back.' Then I went and signed a nice contract in Calgary and was like, 'Hey, I can make a living up here, this is great football, and I'm having a blast.'

The trouble is that right now I want to put as much work into football as I can. It's very important for me to get off to a good start. By the same token, I feel a responsibility to handle the media and those sort of things.

The day I retire is the day I'll feel old. I'm not there yet.

That made me feel good, not to go to a resort where outside the door is extreme poverty.

Hey, I'm just looking for an excuse to retire so I can play summer league baseball, go coach my nephews, play pickup basketball. I've always had that ability to move on to the next thing.