What Former Raider Waller Will Miss About Football

Former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller retired from the NFL last month. What is he going to miss most about playing football on Sundays?

Dec 18, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller announced his retirement from the NFL in June. 

Waller played in the NFL for eight seasons, also making career stops with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. He finished his career with 350 receptions for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2020. 

Waller has an inspiring story, returning to football after overcoming opioid addiction. He founded the Darren Waller Foundation to help youth avoid and overcome addiction.

Now that the dust has settled and Waller is free on Sundays, he can reflect on all the great memories he made on and off the field with his teammates. 

Waller joined his former teammate, defensive end Maxx Crosby, on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Rush," and discussed what he would miss most about football. 

“Going through so many difficult things during the week,” Waller said. “Difficult workouts, thugging through meetings, all these things, going out there with the guys and just seeing it all pay off. That shared emotion, whether it was wins or losses, just sharing that with a lot of really dope dudes, man. That was a lot of fun. Now, I’m in my home gym; I have to motivate myself to work out. The homies aren’t there with me. So, it’s really just that environment.”

While Waller enjoyed making plays on the field, he will miss the moments he spent with his teammates the most.

It was cool to make a lot of plays and be somebody that was a dominant force, but I felt like being out there with the guys and laughing and being in the plays in the moments that we would have and share, just being like, ‘Wow, this is what we were thinking about when we were kids.’ At some point, our life seemed like it was impossible, so it’s almost like, ‘What the f---? I’m literally living this life’ type of s---.”

Waller now spends his time making music. He also said if anyone told him he would have the career he did in 2017, he would not believe them.

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with Waller and Crosby.

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