National Football League

Temple: Borland's decision proof of his true toughness

Published Mar. 17, 2015 5:25 p.m. ET

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It was October 2012. Axe Week. Days before Wisconsin would renew one of the longest-standing college football rivalries in the country against Minnesota. And Chris Borland and I were schmoozing after practice about the virtues of playing without a finger.

Borland, then a Badgers linebacker, was relaying a story he had heard earlier in the week about the history of the Border Battle, about just how intense the rivalry felt on campus and what it meant simply to beat the Gophers once a year for bragging rights.

"There was a guy in the '30s or '40s who had his finger cut off so he could play against Minnesota," Borland told me. "He said, 'Better to lose a finger than a fumble to Minnesota.' That kind of sums it up."

Naturally, I jokingly asked Borland if he'd ever lose a finger to keep playing football. That's when he looked at me with complete seriousness and said: "A pinky. I'd lose a pinky."

That conversation struck me in the wake of Borland's announcement Monday that he was retiring from professional football after just one season with the San Francisco 49ers because of concerns about the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma. Borland was widely regarded as one of the most well-respected and toughest players to come through Wisconsin in decades -- someone who'd be willing to give up a pinky to play the sport he loved. And if he felt that strongly then about playing, imagine how difficult this decision must have been and the thought required to make it.

But this was not about showing a level of toughness. It was about making a calculated choice after consulting with concussion researchers, family members, friends and former teammates to save his future. Temporary physical pain like the three shoulder surgeries he endured in four seasons at Wisconsin is not the same as debilitating, life-altering brain damage. And Borland, who suffered at least two diagnosed concussions in eighth grade and 10th grade and another possible concussion during his first NFL training camp, was not willing to wait to find out what could happen.

For those reasons, among many others, his courage for reigniting a national conversation about brain injuries in football should be met with respect and admiration. How many other players, at age 24, would willingly forgo a dream after years of sacrifice? How many other players would bypass a $540,000 salary -- more money than most people make in a decade -- to take a stand?

Former Badgers linebacker Mike Taylor played alongside Borland at Wisconsin from 2009-12 and is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks. And, like many former Borland teammates acknowledged on Twitter, he praised Borland's decision.

"Chris has had his fair share of injuries," Taylor said by phone Tuesday. "You've got to separate the two that we're talking about. One is physical pain, breaking a bone, tearing something, having surgery. That heals. But brain-wise, it's not really known yet what type of effect it has on you. It's just the doubt of what will happen if this keeps happening and I keep feeling a certain way? It's one thing to be tough and take pain, play while you're hurt. But it's another thing to play hurt when you have a brain injury.

"If anything, that's not tough. That's just stupid. Chris is one of the first to realize that this isn't tough. This is dangerous. It shows how smart he is that, at a young age, he can look out for himself and his future and make such a big decision and feel confident with it."

The news of Borland's retirement seems all the more stunning because, barring injury, he was primed to be a star in the NFL for years to come. He recorded 107 tackles in 14 games and made eight starts as a rookie. He was the NFC's defensive player of the week after registering 13 tackles and two interceptions in Week 11 against the New York Giants.

And yet, that Borland is the one in this position is not entirely surprising because he has understood there is more to life than football. Between May and November of his senior year in 2013, for example, Borland volunteered 100 hours of community service -- more than double any other student-athlete at Wisconsin -- and certainly did not do so for any publicity.

Borland has said he plans to return to school and pursue a potential career in sports management. It is further proof he never was the stereotypical jock, even though he played football at an exceptionally high level. But to understand where Borland is going, you have to understand where he's been as a football player because it defines Borland's passion, heart and smarts.

Borland finished his Wisconsin career ranked sixth all-time in total tackles (420) and set the Big Ten record with 15 forced fumbles. He also became the first Badgers linebacker to earn first-team All-America honors since Hal Faverty in 1951. The fact Borland often knew where offensive plays were headed before they began wasn't by chance. He was among the most astute film observers behind the scenes and became a valuable source for local media members on opponent tendencies and defensive schemes.

At Wisconsin, his athletic exploits reached nearly legendary status. He did a standstill box jump of 51 inches, kicked 40-yard field goals, punted 50 yards, caught passes with one hand and threw the ball 50 yards, all in addition to being an all-league linebacker. In his first season here, he kicked three extra points against Hawaii. In his last season here, he became the emergency long-range field goal kicker. But he also made himself into the player he became.

Former Badgers coach Gary Andersen once recalled watching a game on the Big Ten Network before he joined the program and seeing Borland leap over a cut block attempt to tackle a running back for a loss. Andersen watched it over and over -- rewound it 10 times, he said -- because he couldn't believe what he saw really happened.

"His athleticism is off the charts," Andersen said then. "If he wants to kick it, he'll kick it. If he wants to throw it, he'll throw it. Whatever he wants to do. A lot of things I would say come easy to him. But the things that come easy to him haven't stopped him from working harder to be the best. That's his mental approach."

Borland epitomized the blue-collar worker -- hard-nosed, intelligent and ready to contribute in any way. When he showed up to a three-day summer camp at Wisconsin before his senior year of high school, he did not have a single Division I scholarship offer. And he did everything to earn the coaches' attention.

"I wasn't on their radar," Borland once told me. "I wasn't on anybody's radar."

One day, Borland ran pass routes. Another, he tried his hand as a linebacker. Another, he boomed punts 50 yards and kicked field goals. When former Badgers coach Bret Bielema saw Borland's willingness to attempt anything -- and his success in doing it -- he offered Borland a scholarship. It was Borland's only Division I offer, and he gladly accepted.

If nothing else, Borland has demonstrated time and again on the football field that when he puts his mind to something, he achieves it. Now, he'll put his mind elsewhere in the hopes of preserving its health for years to come. And to do so demonstrates true toughness.

"If he wants to stay around football, he'll have plenty of opportunities, whether it's coaching, anything," Taylor said. "Even if it's not football, he'll have a great career in whatever he decides to do. He's intelligent and knows exactly what he's doing."

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