What was seemingly inevitable became official on Tuesday when Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway announced his retirement from the NFL.
Greenway, at the time a linebacker out of Iowa, was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He tore his ACL before the regular season that year, but bounced back and spent his entire career with the Vikings.
While we laud professional athletes for what they do on the field, Greenway is just as popular for his ability to tackle as he is for being a face in the community. He’s led his family in all kinds of charity work, and he’s known in the locker room as an all-around good guy.