Rolando McClain's sudden retirement from the NFL on Wednesday generated plenty of attention because, well, he's only 23 years old and couldn't have asked for a better landing spot than the Baltimore Ravens.
McClain -- after being peppered with media inquiries -- stepped forward on Thursday to explain his thinking.
"Clearly, my decision to retire has raised some questions. Quite simply, I love football, but I have decided at this time it is in my best interest to focus on getting my personal life together," McClain said in a statement obtained by NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
"Beyond that, I'm not sure what the future holds for me, including football. This was entirely my decision and the Ravens have been very supportive during this process.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity they gave me and wish them the best of luck in the future. God willing, maybe I'll play for them one day."
Not any time soon.
After starring at Alabama, McClain was a tremendous disappointment at the NFL level. Whatever creeping progress he made with the Oakland Raiders was dashed by multiple off-field arrests and chaos.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
