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Mack Strong, the human battering ram who has cleared holes for some of the most successful NFL backs in the last ten years has called it quits.

After learning of a spinal cord condition he has, Strong is deciding to err on the side of caution and hang up the cleats, which is a crushing blow to the already ailing Seattle Seahawks offense.

“I’ve played a long time, 15 years. I felt like I was pretty lucky, pretty blessed,” a teary-eyed Strong said Monday after learning that a herniated disc in his neck is pinching his spinal cord — and ending an unheralded, improbable career that began as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 1993.

“I’m a fullback. That kind of goes with the territory, you are always going to have some kind of pain or injury that you have to push through,” Strong said. “(But) at the same time, I want to be smart. I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize my long-term quality of health.

“You know, there’s a lot more to life than football. I’ve got my wife and two kids,” he said with a cracking voice, before pausing 10 seconds with his head bowed to control his emotions, “and there’s nothing more important then being able to spend time with them.”

I’ve always believed Shaun Alexander was one of the most overrated running backs in the league. Much of the credit Shaun received should have gone to Strong who did the dirty work. While Strong punished linebackers with his crushing blocks, Alexander danced through the holes and scurried out of bounds avoiding hits for years. With the absence of Strong and his talents, I fully expect Alexander’s production to decline.