Eric Weddle, the GOAT of winning and retiring
Nearly the entire Utah fanbase was behind former Ute and recently un-retired, now retired Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle as he took the games biggest stage in Super Bowl LVI. After a closely contested matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, a game winning drive by quarterback Matthew Stafford and a torn pectoral for Weddle, the Utah fan favorite was finally a Super Bowl Champion.
Following the victory and few intimate moments with the Lombardi trophy, Weddle joined the Jim Rowe show to discuss his recent journey to the Super Bowl, why he came out of retirement, and how he played with a torn pectoral.
While a lot of people are thrilled for a guy like Matthew Stafford who finally broke away from a drowning organization in Detroit, Weddle is the actual feel-good story of this year's Super Bowl.
Just weeks ago, Weddle had been retired for a full two seasons until the phone rang and the Los Angeles Rams needed some secondary coverage. Without a second thought, Weddle jumped at the opportunity and became a critical aspect of the Super Bowl Champions defense.
“Man, I love challenges,” Weddle said in an interview with Jim Rowe. “I love proving people wrong…and everyone thought we were crazy. Who thinks of doing something like this? And honestly, I just know deep down that I am one of the most mentally toughest guys in this world and when I got on the phone with Chanel (Eric’s wife) after I called Raheem [Morris], telling her what was going on she said, ‘Babe if anyone can do it, you can,’ and when I heard that, it really just gave me the confidence.”
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle (20) against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Notably, this was just a day-to-day, week-to-week deal between Weddle and the Rams. Originally, they only requested Weddle to play against Arizona for 10-15 snaps, but as they kept winning and Weddle kept producing, there was no looking back.
“I’ve never worked so hard and worked more in the last five weeks than ever in my career because I had to make up for lost time and I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Mind over matter man, the mind is powerful when you decide, commit, and give your whole heart to it,” Weddle explained.
Despite his age and two-year absence from the game, Weddle certainly walked the walk as he helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LVI and was a key contributor in the game, recording five tackles despite suffering a torn pectoral early on. Normally, a torn pectoral is a season-ending injury, but Weddle was not about to let that stop him from realizing his dreams.
“I'm not leaving this game,” Weddle said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for my entire life, I'm not going to come out. I could still run, could still make checks, and so I just didn’t not want to be on that field. I pushed the pain aside, figured I’ll worry about the damage when the game is over with, and, ya know, it was well worth it. Surgery is set for Friday and I’m a Super Bowl Champ now so it don't matter.”
Just as he mentioned earlier, Weddle truly is one of the most mentally tough guys on the field as that kind of injury easily would’ve sidelined just about any other player. But not Weddle. In what may be one of the greatest comeback stories of all time, especially as he has now retired again, Eric Weddle is a Super Bowl Champion.
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