CR South graduate Justin Pugh says he appreciated his NFL career

The dream lasted a lot longer than Justin Pugh could ever have imagined.
The Council Rock South High (Holland) graduate, who spent 11 seasons in the National Football League, officially called it a career on Friday.
Playing at the guard position, he spent time with both the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
Pugh, 34, considered playing one more season and actually showed up at the Giants training camp. But time has caught up to him and he made the retirement decision public, with his wife, daughter and mom in attendance.
“Thought I was going to do another one,” Pugh told the Associated Press. “Just didn’t have it in the tank. I started losing weight, started feeling good and didn’t want to do a 12th year.”
Pugh also told reporters: “Not many players get to go out on their own terms.”
The Syracuse University graduate played in 134 NFL regular season and playoff games from 2013 to 2023.
“Even though I never dreamed of being an offensive lineman, it was my calling,” Pugh said. “I was built to work alongside other guys, built to be part of a five-man unit that had to work as one.”
At the start of his career, Pugh helped provide protection for New York quarterback Eli Manning, who previously had led the Giants to Super Bowl titles in 2008 and 2012.
Pugh was a first-round draft pick (19th overall in 2013) of the Giants and played his first five seasons with them. That tenure was followed by five seasons with the Cardinals.
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee in 2022, then, upon recovery, returned for 12 more games with the Giants in 2023.
As for post-NHL career plans, Pugh already has some experience in sports media. He has produced some YouTube videos while attending Thursday night NFL games and has done some hosting on SiriusXM NFL Radio.