METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints linebacker and special teams captain Michael Mauti opened up to the media Tuesday about his four-year battle with ulcerative colitis -- which will end his season after doctors recommended he have surgery to try and correct the problem long-term.
Mauti, a New Orleans-area native who began his career with the Minnesota Vikings, insisted, "This isn't the end of my career, by any means."
"Look, it's something I played through as long as I could this season. I gave everything I had to this team, and I emptied the tank here," Mauti said.