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Why Elandon Roberts says stepping away from football was a challenge
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- Why Elandon Roberts says stepping away from football was a challenge
Behind the bone-crushing collisions and high-stakes drama of the NFL lies a heavy personal toll that fans rarely see. For Pittsburgh Steelers veteran inside linebacker Elandon Roberts, navigating an 11-year career has meant balancing a passion for the game against the profound sacrifices required to sustain it.
Roberts recently spoke with former Steelers defenders James Harrison and Joe Haden on their podcast, " Deebo and Joe ," about his recent return to Pittsburgh. Roberts had been dealing with some personal issues that required him to step away from football.
He shared that one of the most grueling realities of his current tenure in Pittsburgh is the emotional weight of family separation. While he suits up in Western Pennsylvania, his wife and three children remain grounded at home in Texas.
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"I'm out here in Pittsburgh by myself. My oldest daughter, she's seven years old, so they're staying in Houston full time," Roberts revealed. "I'm away from my family, and this year, it's kind of hard on me."
Beyond geographical distance, the physical fragility of a professional football career shifted Roberts' entire perspective on leadership and longevity. After suffering a significant knee injury during his time with the Miami Dolphins , watching the team move forward seamlessly without him was a sobering realization of the sport's business-first nature.
"I went out to practice, I sat away from everybody, and I realized: man, you can be the general all you want, you can lead a team all you want, but what you need to embrace is enjoying this game while it lasts," Roberts explained. "Because in that moment, I looked out to the field and it was still going. Guess what? They just put another man in, that train going to keep rolling."
As Roberts contemplates life beyond his playing days, exploring ventures ranging from a Houston coffee shop and speakeasy to potential coaching, he remains focused on leaving on his own terms. However, he made sure that everyone knows he considers winning another Lombardi the only satisfying ending.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why Elandon Roberts says stepping away from football was a challenge
