Jahvid Best could be done with football

Best is considering a return to track now that his NFL career appears to be through.

by Adam Stites

Jan 7, 2014, 2:36 PM UTC

Leon Halip

Part Of

2014 NFL free agency: Chris Johnson joins the Jets

see all updates

Jahvid Best has adjusted to life away from football, according to his friend and former teammate Jeremy Ross, who said that the former first-round selection of the Detroit Lions is considering pursuing track now that his career in the NFL appears to be over.

Ross told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he keeps in contact with Best and that the running back has sent him congratulatory text messages after good performances:

“That’s my boy,” Ross said. “A couple times when I went back to California we hung out, went to get something to eat, went out to Texas Roadhouse, we was eating, chopping it up and stuff like that.
“He’s good, man. He’s just back in California doing some traveling, stuff like that. I think he told me he was going to try and do some track, get into some track workouts and maybe potentially do the track thing.”

Best, 24, was released by the Lions in July after concussions suffered in 2011 ended his season prematurely and did not allow him to return for the 2012 season as well.

A first-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, Best bounced back from a violent concussion suffered in his final college game with the Cal Golden Bears to rack up more than 1,000 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in his rookie season with the Lions. However, a concussion in preseason of the following season set him back before a concussion in October proved to be the final hit he would take with the Lions.

Doctors have not cleared Best to return to the game since, and his opportunities to play would likely be slim even if he ever was cleared for a return. Instead, he could return to track in which he was very successful during his time at Salesian High School in Richmond, Calif.

Best finished his senior season with times of 10.31 and 20.65 in the 100 and 200 meters, respectively, the fifth- and second-fastest times in the nation.