INDIANAPOLIS — “Being big is not an easy job,” Hugh Thornton said with a laugh last July.
At the time, Thornton was discussing his noticeably-slimmer frame, as he was trying to work his way back from another season-ending injury, his second in two years, to compete for a spot along the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive line.
Unfortunately for Thornton and the Colts, the Illinois product wouldn’t see the field again in Indy, as an ankle injury shelved him yet again for the entire 2016 season.
In March, Thornton, then a free agent, tried to revive his career by signing with the Atlanta Falcons, but earlier this week, he decided to call it quits, announcing his retirement from the National Football League.