The guy has spent, conservatively, over half his life pursuing his athletic dreams. And then to discover that at age 26, despite all the hype and the awards and the accolades, that he was no longer good enough to really compete at professional level. That has to really, really suck. Just like it sucks for the dozens of guys who have to retire from the NFL at a young age every year under similar circumstances.

However unrealistic it is (and it's EXTREMELY unrealistic), dude probably believes that he still has something to offer athletically and can still compete at the highest level in some sport. So, whatever. He'll try this, won't make the cut, and go back to making his money as CFB analyst and the lecture/motivational speaker circuit.