Kenny Vaccaro Retires from NFL
The Saints got a good one in Kenny Vaccaro with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and he went on to play five seasons with the black and gold. He was something special immediately, as his first game in front of the Superdome crowd resulted in preserving a win over the Falcons when he broke up a Matt Ryan pass to Tony Gonzalez that was picked off by Roman Harper.
Vaccaro certainly saw a lot in his time with the Saints, riding through the 2013 whirlwind as a rookie, handling the three straight 7-9 seasons, and eventually finding success in 2017. In free agency that offseason, Vaccaro ended up signing a four-year, $26 million contract with the Titans in the offseason, playing three seasons for Tennessee from 2018-2020.
Vaccaro has retired from the NFL, as announced on Wednesday, and is a co-founder of a new esports organization, G1 (also known as Gamers First). Gaming is a passion of his, and has become increasingly popular through the years.
Vaccaro said in a statement, "This isn't a reflex decision for me; it's something I've thought about for a long time."
"I've been a gamer for ever longer than I've played football, and I've always thought of myself as a gamer first. So this is the realization of a long-term dream for me. And while football has been how many have defined me, G1 is evidence for other athletes as well that life doesn't end just because you put down the helmet. You can reinvent yourself."
