Following Super Bowl Triumph Rams Star Andrew Whitworth Considering Retirement

In the world of sports, it can be very hard for top performers to be honest and contemplative when considering their futures. Sportsmen and women rarely call time on their careers when they are on a high, preferring instead to push for further success only, inevitably, to fall short.

Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth looks as if he may be leaning towards taking this very decision himself. Having spent 16 seasons in the NFL, 11 of those with the Cincinnati Bengals and five in California, the 40-year-old finally picked up his first Super Bowl ring last month and now may look to call time on his career in the game.

The fact that his one title came for the Rams last season, something that wouldn't have been a likely scenario when looking at the odds on NFL games today (let alone last season when the Rams were some way down the betting), makes Whitworth's likely retirement a very smart decision.

Whitworth started 19 games over the course of the last season and may feel that his body has taken enough of a beating, and it would be a brave decision to retire after reaching the dizzy heights he managed.

The fact that he won a Super Bowl is something that is apparently very much part of his thinking;

"There's a lot that goes into that (his decision about retiring)."

"Obviously, the family's involved. Me making sure that my commitment level to being the kind of player that I expect myself to be each and every Sunday is a part of that. So, that's something I'm just gonna give it another couple of weeks and make sure I'm pretty confident in what I want to do." Whitworth added.

The signs are that the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award winner is going to retire, adding;

"I definitely think I'm definitely leaning towards probably being done. I think that that's probably best for me at this time in my career. There are obviously days I'm waking up right now that I don't know if I want to do that. It's battling that a little bit. I'll come to a conclusion here soon to give the Rams a chance to make the moves they need to one way or another. But man, what an awesome ride it's been if this is the end."

Clearly, given the physical nature of the position Whitworth plays in, as opposed to perhaps a quarterback, playing on when into your 40s represents real issues that could prove problematic in the long-term, and as such, there must be a sense of wanting to give his body a rest after such a long run in the game.

However, it does appear that the possibility of winning a second Super Bowl also appeals to Whitworth, especially after he'd discussed that possibility with Ice Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky;

"I'll never forget after we won the game, the great Wayne Gretzky called me, cause I live out here near him in Sherwood (California),"

"He was like, 'Hey Whit, there's only one thing better than winning one, and that's winning two.'