Bears safety Chris Conte says he'd rather die early than not play football

Chicago Bears safety Chris Conte recently revealed he'd rather die an early death than not play in the NFL at all.

According to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, Conte recently said this while on WBBM-AM 780: "I'd rather have the experience of playing in the NFL and die 10 to 15 years earlier than not play in the NFL and have a long life."

For all those who've played football, they understand the seriousness of this game. Pure physical battles lead to a war of attrition. Once training camp starts in the summer, over the next six months your body is put through absolute war and never feels quite right until the spring months. Conte knows this feeling all too well as throughout his career he's had to battle several injuries.

He's suffered shoulder, back and eye injuries at one point or another this season, yet is willing to play through it. Conte is only 25 years old, yet the injuries and effects on his body are piling up.

"I don't really look toward my life after football. I'll figure things out when I get there. As long as I outlive my parents," Conte also said.

In the NFL there a handful of special players. These are the guys that have talent that even trumps the average player, while working harder in the film room and off the field than anybody. The rest of the players are comprised of guys in Conte's situation. How the player's body holds up, not talent or smarts, is what sustains an NFL career.

Conte was rated the fourth worst regular safety in 2013 by Pro Football Focus. So, he either needs to stay health free and stop that rapid decline, or enter the mix of the many NFL players who fall into the injury related short-career abyss.

So far in 2014, Conte has a total of 32 tackles and three interceptions for the Bears, notes Pro Football Reference.