James Develin Will Consider Coaching As A Post-Football Career
BOSTON (CBS) -- James Develin retired from football on Monday, but the now-former Patriots fullback may not be out of the game for long.
Coach Develin has a great ring to it, and Patriots fans would love to see the fan favorite return to the sidelines in New England. When a devastating neck injury kept Develin out for much of the 2019 season, he remained with the team to serve in a coach-like role.
And now that the neck injury has ultimately forced him to put an end to his playing days, Develin wants to give back to the game that gave him so much for over two decades. On Tuesday, the 31-year-old said he would jump at the chance to return as a coach in New England.
"I'm considering any kind of possibility that kind of comes my way," Develin said in a video conference with the New England media. "It would be a honor to be able to continue to provide support for the team, albeit in a different way. I have an innate sense in me that I have to kind of give back to the game that gave me so much. Any kind of capacity that I can do that in is something I would be interested in doing.
"I have been playing for 25 years and I know a lot about the game," he added. "I have been through a lot of experiences within the game. I think there's a certain level of knowledge that I have that I can pass on to the next generation of players, wherever that may be."
Develin enjoyed an eight-year career with New England, playing a pivotal role on the team's offense. Fullback is often a thankless job, but his impact was always highlighted by teammates and coaches, and well-recognized by fans who appreciated his approach to the game -- not to mention those bone-crunching blocks. Develin cleared the way for New England running backs throughout his career, willing to put his own well-being on the line for the team.
Read: An Appreciation Of James Develin -- A Truly Rare, Elite Champion For Patriots
Develin said that his block in Super Bowl LIII which sprung running back Sony Michel for the game's only touchdown was his favorite highlight of his own. That score gave the Patriots a 10-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, and they held on for a 13-3 victory over the L.A. Rams for the franchise's sixth Super Bowl title.
In his announcement on Monday, Develin said that "unforeseen complications" with his 2019 neck injury led to his retirement. He expanded on that tough decision Tuesday afternoon, saying it took a lot of emotion to make.
"I am at solace with the decision that it was made with my family's best interest in mind," he said. "When I kind of got the news that I had the situation going on that I had, it was a tough pill to swallow because I wasn't really prepared for it. I had really no prior knowledge of it. The one thing that really shed some clarity in the situation was my wife was there with my daughter. So, it was just an immediate reminder of what is important in life. Had they not been there, my sense of manly pride, me trying to be a tough guy, maybe I would have said, 'I could play through that. I'll just tough it out.'
"But really, it was in the best interest of me, my wife, my three kids," he said. "It would be an ignorant thing and a selfish thing to continue to play the game. I did what was best for my family."
