“My girls, Hannah, Bella and Story. You know, this day puts an exclamation point on my playing career, which was my first dream,” he said at the time. “You know, through you all, with you all, I’m living another one.”
Although his daughters—who were born after Derek’s 2014 retirement—didn’t get to see their dad on the field, he shared that he’s looking forward to telling his children the important lessons he learned throughout his career.
“Bella and Story, I want you to know that your dad was far from perfect. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes on and off the field,” he explained. “You know, I have zero regrets in my career, other than the fact that I didn’t get to share it with you.”