Professional athletes often will take to social media to announce that they’re retiring from their respective sports. Technically, former New England Patriots fullback Danny Vitale did just that on Saturday, but not on the social media platform you’d expect.
Instead of taking to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, Vitale, 27, announced his retirement from football on the networking platform LinkedIn. Yes, you read that correctly.
Here is what Vitale wrote:
“Hi everyone – As many of you may know, I have been playing professional football for the last 5 years. I have truly enjoyed every moment of playing in the NFL, especially for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots. However, I feel like my body is just ready to move on. I’m looking for a new role and would appreciate your support. For those of you who do not know me well, I graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in economics. I also earned a minor in business institutions and integrated marketing communications. I am passionate about anything I set my mind to. I am goal driven, hard working, and looking to improve in every aspect of my life every single day. Thank you in advance for any connections, advice, or opportunities you can offer as I move into this next stage of my life. #OpenToWork”
As you can see, Vitale didn’t just announce his retirement from the NFL, but he also marketed himself for the next opportunity.
Vitale was originally a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft. Over the course of his NFL career, Vitale appeared in 44 games and caught 15 passes for 145 yards during his time with the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. Vitale signed with the Patriots in March 2020, but ended up opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Vitale opted out of the 2020 season, the Patriots ended up releasing him last month.
Flash forward two weeks later and Vitale is riding off into the sunset. It just isn’t in the fashion that many would’ve envisioned for a professional athlete.