Baltimore Ravens Standout Linebacker Zach Orr Retiring
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zachary Orr is retiring after being diagnosed with a condition that could increase his risk of being injured.
Just as his career was really starting to take off, 24-year-old Orr announced that he has to give up the game.
"Kind of forced to walk away from the game of football," said Orr. "The cat scan revealed that I had a condition I was born with that less than one percent of the world has, pretty much at the top of my C1, at the top of my spinal cord, I don't know the exact term, but it was never formed completely, and that puts me at a real increased risk than anybody else - an already increased risk than we're already at - for a fatality or being paralyzed."
The discovery of the condition comes after Orr saw doctors about a neck injury that forced him to go on injured reserve.
"Pretty much this disqualifies me from playing collision sports, which obviously includes football. It's really just a blessing that I've been able to play the game - I've been playing the game since I was nine years old - so long without any major injury happening," he said.
The disappointment goes beyond losing Orr as a football player, as general manager Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh talk about his character.
"I don't think there has been any player more inspirational to me, than Zach," said Newsome.
"Coming in here and what he accomplished most definitely, but even beyond that, how he conducts himself every day, how hard he works. He's highly intelligent, as hard a worker as you're ever going to see, never, ever has a negative or disparaging word for anything or anybody," said Harbaugh.
Orr says he's unsure of what lies ahead but he'd like to coach.
"My brother said it best. He said, 'instead of asking, "Why me?" ask, "What's next?"' and that's what I'm looking forward to and whatever that is, I'm ready to give it 110 percent," said Orr.
Despite not playing in the regular-season finale, Orr finished tied for eighth in the NFL with 132 tackles.
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