PITTSBURGH — Monte Pottebaum joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 offseason after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Iowa State fullback joined the team that season for training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, but arrived three days before leaving camp.
He was the first player to leave camp, but he did so of his own free will. Instead of being fired, Pottebaum walked away from football just a few months after completing his collegiate career at the University of Iowa. Pottebaum played his first year at Iowa as a linebacker, then switched to fullback for the next three years.
Ultimately, according to Pottebaum, the benefits of playing professionally did not outweigh the physical pain he would suffer.
Pottebaum appeared on the SHRP Podcast and spoke about his decision.
“It took some pain to do that, and that pain just got worse and worse as I went through college,” he said. “If I pick someone wrong, I get a sharp pain all the way from my neck to my fingertips to my whole arm. You all know what a needle is, but basically, I wish I had a needle. The visual effect of a broken bone looks like a simple villain from the outside, but in reality, it’s like the worst kind of pain imaginable.
More and more players are prioritizing health over football, including Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch, who retired at the end of last season for health reasons and said his career is over after six seasons. There is.
Pottebaum remains involved in the football world, currently serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, West Lyon High School in Inwood, Iowa.
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