Knighthawks defenseman Ryan Cousins has officially announced his retirement from the National Lacrosse League. Apparently, the decision was made on January 30th. According to an article appearing on Knighthawks.net, the impetus of Cousins' decision was a preseason injury.
“Once again, I experienced a pre-training camp injury that set me back. That was basically the main reason for me retiring. I have sustained a number of injuries the past five years and I always seem to comeback, but I don’t think it’s the greatest thing in the long-term for someone’s body. I still have the passion to play and the drive. I am physically active and I want to be physically active for years to come,” said Cousins.
“It was a tough decision for me, but it was the right decision. I will definitely miss playing and all of the guys. The toughest part of the decision was I had full intentions of playing this season. Last year, I had a preseason knee injury and was convinced by Curt Styres and Jody Gage, as well as different players, to get back in shape and get back to playing,” Cousins added.
“Obviously, I am hoping I was part of winning that championship. Looking back, I am really glad I was able to come back and play.”
This news is disappointing for Knighthawks fans. Cousins, the NLL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, was one of Rochester's best defensive players last season. With Cousins out of the lineup, Rochester's defense has allowed 54.2 shots on goal per game this season. Compare that to last year's slightly lower 49.5 shots on goal per game.
It is sad to see Cousins retiring at only 31 years old and personally, I don't think he should have. He admits he still has the drive to play, so why doesn't he? When he gets older and no longer can physically play, he might come to regret not getting as many years out of the game as he could.
Cousins also went on to say that the same thing happened to him last year, and he was talked into coming back. He ended up winning a championship and says that he was really glad he decided to keep playing. So what's he do when faced with the exact same decision the next year? He makes the opposite choice! That makes no sense.
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