Episode 019: Chris Borland – Why He Walked Away From Millions Of Dollars

This was an extremely thought provoking conversation with Chris Borland. Chris is an extremely intelligent person who also is very driven and likable. I really enjoyed getting to know him better and also gain a better understanding for why he walked away from the NFL after just one stellar season.

Chris Borland had a storied high school and college football career. That led him to being a third round draft choice of The San Francisco 49ers where he quickly excelled as a dominant Linebacker.

Borland was selected as the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for November. Chris finished his rookie season with 108 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions in only starting 8 games.

On March 16, 2015, he announced his retirement from the NFL citing concern of head trauma. Chris received a $617,436 signing bonus when he inked a four-year rookie deal with the 49ers coming out of college. He'll be returning over $450,000 to the team.

Episode 019: Chris Borland – Why He Walked Away From Millions Of Dollars

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

The Learning Leader Show

“The scientist is not the person who gives the right answers; he’s the one who asks the right questions.” – Claude Levi-Strauss

Some Questions I Ask:

• Why did you decide to walk away from your NFL career and millions of $$?
• What has been the overall response from people?
• Do we need to create a backup plan for college athletes?
• How did Junior Seau’s suicide affect you?
• Would you allow your own children to play football?
• What is next for you in your life now that you are done with football?
• What is your definition of a great Learning Leader?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The specifics behind why he walked away from football
• About his conversations with Dr. Harry Edwards – renowned Sociology professor
• The exact time when he contemplated not playing
• The letter he wrote to his parents before the season
• How much money he had to pay back from his bonus
• Who he discussed this with (Small group)

“There are two types of pain you will go through in life: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” – Jim Rohn

Continue Learning

• Read the Boston University Head Trauma Research: http://www.bu.edu/cte/
• Comments by Dr. Harry Edwards: http://sociology.berkeley.edu/professor-emeritus/harry-edwards
• Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisDec26

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector With Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 003: The Incredibly Interesting Story Of Maurice Clarett And How He Built A 6 Figure Income After Spending 4 Years In Prison

Episode 002: How To Take Over And Set Bigger Goals With Chris Brogan

Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion

Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts

Did you enjoy the podcast?

I really enjoyed this great conversation with Chris… I learned a lot about his makeup and his specific process to make the decision he feels best with. I could tell he was completely at ease with the decision he’s made. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio

Chris Borland had a storied high school and college football career. That led him to being a third round draft choice of The San Francisco 49ers where he quickly excelled as a dominant Linebacker.

Borland was selected as the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for November. Chris finished his rookie season with 108 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions in only starting 8 games.

On March 16, 2015, he announced his retirement from the NFL citing concern of head trauma. Chris received a $617,436 signing bonus when he inked a four-year rookie deal with the 49ers coming out of college. He'll be returning over $450,000 to the team.