“Though he was competitive in practices, he never played in an N.F.L. regular-season game and the Titans parted ways with him once his contract was up. He tried to make the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster but was cut before the 2012 season. Not yet ready to quit football, he returned home, to New Jersey, where he languished until his mother, Beverly, shook him out of his funk.” She reminded him of plan B, and he went from bashing in brains to repairing them. NYT (Gift Article): It’s Never Too Late to Pivot From N.F.L. Safety to Neurosurgeon. (My plan was almost the exact opposite. If the newsletter thing didn’t work out, I was going to be Tom Brady.)