Quinn Pitcock was an all-America defensive lineman at Ohio State, and a third-round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts. But he quit the NFL in 2008, at age 24. The reason? Video games addiction.
That remarkable admission is in today's Tacoma News-Tribune, covering the Seattle Seahawks training camp, where Pitcock has returned to restart his pro football career. Pitcock (pictured) told the TNT that he quit because he was suffering from bouts of depression, using video games as an escape. The specific games or genres were not mentioned, but eventually, it all became an addiction that needed help as much as his depression.
"I just stayed in my apartment and did nothing," Pitcock says, on the Seahawks' official website. "I ended up using video games as my out, I got sucked into that," he said. "I got lost to the world."
Pitcock's now in camp in Renton, Wash., trying to earn a job as a defensive tackle and show the coaching staff he can still be a useful performer. "I think some guys don't know my story, they just thought I got released by Indy," Pitcock told the News-Tribune. "And that's fine. I'm not trying to make it a big deal. I left quietly and I'd like to come in quietly and just show what I can accomplish with the team."
Pitcock told the Seahawks' site that he intends to start a charitable organization to help those addicted to games. "I got to a point where I broke and burned many video games trying to quit," he said. "But that was my outing, so once I got rid of that and realized I could start eating healthy and exercising and do all that, I got back on track."
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