INSPIRATIONAL
QUITTING

Topics: Caring; Empathy; Sacrifice; Unselfishness

References: Matthew 20:26–28; Philippians 2:1–11

Cleveland Browns linebacker Chris Spielman had to retire from football early in the 1999 season after suffering an injury that resulted in the narrowing of his spinal canal. Spielman had skipped the entire ’98 season to care for his wife, Stefanie, who was battling breast cancer.

After spending ten NFL seasons with other teams, Spielman, who grew up in Ohio, was finally getting a chance to play for his beloved Browns—only to have it taken away almost as soon as the season started.

Was he bitter? His wife Stefanie said, “He had a couple of emotions. He said that he felt like he was letting down our children because they’d never get to see him play. And he said he felt sorry for all those people who had bought his #54 Spielman jersey.

“That shows what kind of man I married. He feels so much for other people.”

When Spielman told Browns coach Chris Palmer he had to quit, Spielman said, “I’m sorry I let you down.”

“Let me down?” Palmer said later. “He had to be kidding. This guy’s one of the most inspirational players the league has seen.”

—Peter King, “Knowing When, and Why, to Go,” Sports Illustrated (September 6, 1999)