Bobby Wagner wasn't thinking about retiring from football just before his 34th birthday. He left the Seattle Seahawks, attracted by his playing under Dan Quinn and Ken Norton Jr., and signed with the Washington Commanders.
But something other than football also tipped the scales for Washington.
Wagner is pursuing a master's degree in business administration from Howard University in the District of Columbia. This is an 18-month course that started in January with the aim of broadening horizons beyond football.
“It was going to be held online,” Wagner said Friday. “But maybe things have changed a little.”
The six-time All-Pro linebacker chose Howard because of his work at a historically black college and the school's business expertise.
“Just like in soccer, you always try to find ways to perfect your craft, so I felt like this was an opportunity to do that off the field,” Wagner said. “I thought Howard was the best school to study business. It's one of the best in the country, so why wouldn't I choose it?”
Wagner chose the Commanders as his day job, signing a one-year contract worth up to $8.5 million with $6 million guaranteed. He will be the centerpiece of a rebuilt defense that new general manager Adam Peters built for Quinn, who coached Wagner for two years as an assistant when they won the Super Bowl together in Seattle.
On the same day that former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced his retirement, Wagner dismissed the idea of retirement. Even though he was past his prime, he was taking care of his body with yoga and physical therapy, and he knew he still had the fire to compete, and he was going to trust the process.
“The only thing that keeps me motivated is just wanting to be great and wanting to do it for a long time,” Wagner said. “I look at guys like LeBron and guys who have been able to do it at a high level for a long time and I think that's what keeps me going.”
At this stage, Wagner himself is the model. His new teammate, fellow linebacker Anthony Pittman, is a little younger at 27, but said he respects Wagner and has studied his game for a long time.
“I'm not going to cheer him up because he's still playing at a high level, but I'm excited to learn from him and take as much as I can from it,” Pittman said Thursday. Ta. “Just observe and study.”
The same goes for Frankie Lube, another linebacker the managers signed to fill that position. Wagner and Lube have worked out together before and it appears they will start together in Washington.
“He's the epitome of a linebacker,” Luv said. “He does it all: a student of the game, his way of doing things, his habits, his movie watching. It's a blessing to have him in the building and work with him.”
