Wide receiver Torrey Smith was one of the Panthers' final cuts before the season, and Friday he announced his retirement from football in a video posted by Uninterrupted.
In the video, Smith credits football for helping him "becoming the man [he is] today" and for serving as a "safe haven" growing up.
"I knew this day would come," Smith said. "I've been preparing for it my entire career. It's the NFL circle of life, and I'm prepared for what's next."
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Dear Football, Thank you for showing me how to be a man.
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) September 13, 2019
Sincerely Yours, @TorreySmithWR | #MoreThanAnAthlete #SincerelyYours pic.twitter.com/QvaFtoGnzN
Smith played eight years in the NFL, his first four with the Ravens after Baltimore selected him in the second round of the 2011 draft. Originally from Virginia, Smith went to college at Maryland and then grew significant ties to Baltimore, where he said he'll be returning in his retirement.
"I'm blessed to be able to walk away from this game with most of my health, a clear mind and a grateful heart," Smith said. "I can't wait to begin the next phase of my life where my heart is and never left: Baltimore."
Smith had 1,128 receiving yards and won his first Super Bowl in 2013. After two years in San Francisco, he won a second ring with the Eagles in 2017 before closing his playing career with a one-year stint with the Panthers. In his eight seasons, he had 319 receptions, 5,141 receiving yards and 41 touchdowns.
But, as the 30-year-old said in his announcement, his "worth as a football player was never only about numbers."
Smith has been one of the league's most active voices in the communities he's played in. He was a member of the Players Coalition and has frequently been a champion of criminal justice and public education reform.
"If I was able to impact just one player, one kid, one person," Smith said, "I served my purpose.
"I'm looking forward to using the platform [football has] given me to continue to serve my true purpose: changing my community for the better."