Ricardo Lockette nearly died last November. It's a risk the now-retired Seattle Seahawks receiver won't again take.
Surrounded by his family Thursday, Lockette formally announced his retirement from the NFL after five seasons.
"It's not a sad day for me. Life goes on," Lockette said at a news conference at the Seahawks facility in Renton, Washington. "I just wanted to be great at something and make my family proud. Hopefully I've done that."
Lockette, 29, sustained ligament damage in his neck in a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 1. While on punt coverage, Lockette was hit by Cowboys safety Jeff Heath and immediately slumped to the turf at AT&T Stadium.