Former Washington Redskins defensive end Stephen Bowen announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, doing so in a press conference arranged by the team with which he spent four seasons.
Bowen, 32, signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2006 after going undrafted out of Hofstra and joined the Redskins in 2011, signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract before the start of his sixth season. He played for the New York Jets last season, appearing in all but one game.
Not long after joining the Redskins, Bowen’s wife, Tiffany, prematurely gave birth to twin sons, and the death of one of them, Skyler, from complications related to his birth led to their decision to create the Skyler’s Gift Foundation and provide support to other families in similar situations.
“It was a difficult time for my family and I,” Bowen said on Wednesday. “I had just lost my son, Skylar, and my mother-in-law, Muriel passed away a few months after that. However, it was the embrace of the Redskins’ family that gave me comfort. This immediately felt like home and I was able to shine here.”
Bowen appeared in 128 games, making 175 tackles with 12.5 sacks. One of the Redskins’ defensive captains in 2012, when they won the NFC East, Bowen sustained a knee injury that kept him out of the final six games in 2013 and the first six games in 2014.
“Ten years is a long time,” Bowen said. “I feel like there is other joys to life. I get to really enjoy my kids now. I feel like I really didn’t get to be the dad that I wanted to be — or the husband — and I’m able to do that.”
SEE ALSO: Redskins’ Matt Jones hoping to put fumbling issues behind him
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.