RENTON (Wash.) -- Veteran tight end Luke Willson has announced that he is leaving football one day after resigning with the Seattle Seahawks.
Willson, 31, posted a statement on Twitter Wednesday saying that he was hospitalized for days with severe pericardial fluid. This is an accumulation of fluid around the heart.
Willson wrote, "That situation really challenged me as a person and changed my outlook on many things with regard to my life." "After reflecting back on yesterday's events and being in that building, I decided it was time to start the next chapter in my life."
Willson was released by the Seahawks on Wednesday. This leaves them with an opening in their 80-man roster.
On Tuesday, they brought him back to the team for a fourth time. This was to strengthen their depth, as Colby Parkinson is still recovering from a foot injury. He may not be able to play in the Sept. 12 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Willson was a member the 2013 Seahawks winning team, after being drafted in the fifth round out of Rice. He also played on the 2014 team that fell just short of repeating in Super Bowl XLIX. After spending his first five seasons in Seattle, Willson returned to the team in 2019, after a year with Detroit Lions and an offseason with the Raiders. Last year, he spent time with both the Seahawks (Baltimore Ravens) and the Seahawks.
Willson has 111 receptions for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns in his 102 career games. This doesn't even include his most memorable play, a 2-point conversion that will be immortalized in Seahawks history. Russell Wilson made a desperate heave to Willson late in the fourth quarter, which was part of the Seahawks' remarkable comeback against Green Bay Packers.
Willson was a fan favorite, and a well-known player in Seattle's locker rooms. His energy and humor made him a beloved player. He was the founder of the 2017 Techno Thursday movement, which saw players dance on the practice fields to techno music.
Coach Pete Carroll stated Tuesday that certain people have more juice than others. Willson participated in practice. "Luke has been an integral part of this for us, and one of my favorite players that we have had over the years."
Willson thanked his Seahawks fans, LaSalle, Ontario and all the teachers and coaches who helped him along his journey.
He wrote, "I have always tried to be a true representative of the characteristics that make our area," "I hope I've made you proud.
"Football really is all I know. For the past two decades, it's all that I know. To be truthful, I don't know what the future holds. Whatever it may be, you can rest assured that I will bring lots of energy to it."
The Seahawks are left with five close ends after Willson's departure: Gerald Everett (Will Dissly), Tyler Mabry (Tyler Mabry), Parkinson, and Cam Sutton.
