The Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran offensive tackle Tony Ugoh to a deal on the eve of the 2012 training camp in St. Joseph in the hopes of bolstering the tackle position where inexperience rules behind starters Eric Winston and Branden Albert. Apparently, Ugoh didn't like his chances and decided instead to retire just a few days after initially signing.
It's clear that Ugoh had a read on whether or not he would make the team or that something wasn't clicking in his new surroundings. After Ugoh's exit, David Mims, a former undrafted free agent from 2011 out of Virginia Union, and Donald Stephenson, a third round choice from 2012 out of Oklahoma, remain as the primary options to back up the tackle positions.
"People don't realize how hard it is to bounce around from team to team,'' said Winston. "It's tough. It's tough on families. There are a lot of things going on in people's lives. You don't know what's going on. Guys sometimes lose interest. I respect him for backing away more so than anything. There are a lot of guys trying to fake it and pick up another paycheck. The thing about this game is it's hard to fake it, and I think he knew that. He was just ready to move on.''
Ugoh had previously played for the Indianapolis Colts before catching on with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants. This was his fourth franchise since being drafted in 2007.
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