Allen Park — Halapoulivaati Vaitai won't turn 30 until next month, but for the past year, he got a taste of what retirement might look like.
There were unquestionable charms that came with the idea of calling it a career after just seven NFL seasons. There was all the extra time he got to spend with his wife and young children, plus the opportunity to build up his 205-acre ranch an hour outside of Houston, where he has 20 head of cattle and some donkeys.
But once he got through the initial limitations from last year's season-ending back surgery, the pull of the game of football proved too strong.