RICHMOND — Ziggy Hood knows the last grains of sand are slipping through the hourglass that is his football career. Walking off the field after a recent Washington Redskins training camp practice, the 29-year-old defensive lineman, who was drafted 32nd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, thought about his peers that entered the league with him.
Eight players drafted in that first round, including four of the first 10 picks, are either retired or free agents. That number increases steadily through the seventh and final round.
“It’s bound to happen to me,” Hood said. “I won’t be able to play forever.