Too Quiet of An Exit...

Since I started this blog a few months ago, I thought long and hard if I wanted to write a column on this person. He's one of the NFL's Top 20 Rushers of All Time. He's been called the #1 "Good Guy" in sports by Sporting News magazine. He's been honored numerous times for his off the field charitable contributions (Homes for the Holidays Progam). More importantly, he's been one of my best friends over the past 10 years. His name is Warrick Dunn.

If you have paid any attention to the game of football over the past decade, I'm sure you are well aware of Warrick Dunn and what makes him uniquely special, on and off the field. Without going into too much detail, I met Warrick back in 1997 while in Tampa Bay on business. At the time I was working for Motown Records and he and I happen to both be at the same radio station down there. Warrick had some interest in the music industry so we decided to stay in touch. This business connection blossomed into a friendship that has been so important to my life.

As you know, Warrick lost his mother (a Baton Rouge police officer) back in 1993, in a tragic act of violence by a group of cowards. You never really understand how an event like this can impact one's world....until it happens to you. In 2002, I lost my mother to cancer. There is no blueprint in life for dealing with the loss of a loved one, however, there is comfort in having a friend to talk to, who can share with you their journey to recovery, and provide you with hope and encouragement, "You'll get through this. Keep your head up. She's in a better place." I was truly blessed to have Warrick in my corner at the right time in my life.

I felt the background on our friendship was important to this column. I wanted to give full disclosure to the bias commentary I'm about to share with you:

With training camps well underway, I began to wonder how many people even realize that #28 Warrick Dunn is not on the practice field with any of the 32 teams around the league. Warrick is 34 years old. If he decides to play another season, he would be the oldest running back in the league. I told him the other day, "If you choose not to play again and retire, you need to make a big 'to-do' about it. I want to see you on ESPN, holding a live press conference crying." Unfortunately, that's not Warrick's style.

For a man who spent so much of his professional career giving back to others, I can only hope for one afternoon this Fall, the league, the media, the Buccaneers and the Falcons give something back to him -- respect and recognition.

We may never see another 5 foot 8 inch running back endure 12 years in the NFL and finish in the Top20 in Career Rushing Yards (10,967 to be exact). Warrick was a 3-time Pro Bowl selection and in 2004 won the Walter Payton Man of The Year Award, for his work off the field. Again, call me biased, but this looks and feels like a Hall of Fame career to me. So it really pains me to see him bow out so quietly. He deserves better than this. He deserves more than ending up on the scroll across the bottom of a Sportscenter telecast.

If Warrick decides to officially notify the league office he has retired, it will probably be done from his cell phone while he's on a golf course somewhere in Georgia or Florida. There will be no no media, no former teammates, no spotlight and no tears. No one will be around at that moment to show their respect for his remarkable career and thats a crying' shame....