Washington Post: Playing With Pain
 

[URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Shawn+Springs?tid=informline"]Shawn Springs[/URL] was suffocating. His father was in a coma in Texas. His stepmother had had cancer diagnosed. He and his wife had separated, their 1-year-old son leaving with her. So he backpedaled. He stopped answering most phone calls and for a few months he left home rarely unless it was for a workout. At his most despondent, the cornerback considered retiring from the [URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Washington+Redskins?tid=informline"]Washington Redskins[/URL], walking away from $5 million this season, and maybe becoming a teacher or buying land and building a house near his family in Dallas.

Link: [url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/18/AR2008071802931.html]washingtonpost.com[/url]