Former 49er who unexpectedly left NFL opens up on why he retired at 27

The San Francisco 49ers were dealt a bit of a curveball this offseason when 27-year-old defensive end Bryce Huff announced his retirement from the NFL. Huff stepped away from football after six seasons to put all of his energy into a business he founded that is dedicated to reducing fire risk that comes with lithium batteries. " I'm building a company called Naberstone ," Huff said in a social media video announcing his retirement.

"Lithium batteries power the modern world, but they carry a fire risk that current suppression technology was never designed to solve. We're building safety infrastructure, specifically for that problem. Proprietary suppression systems, advanced detection technology, and containment built for lithium-ion battery events.

This mission will save lives and protect critical infrastructure as battery technology continues to scale. I can't ask the people who believe in this mission to go all in if I'm not willing to do the same. " In an interview with NFL Network, Huff explained the timing of his retirement.

"Me and my brother have been building this company for the last two-and-a-half years or so and we've been picking up a lot of steam," Huff said. "I weighed the options with my team and advisors, and we feel like this is the best thing to do. " Huff further explained that leaving football to commit to his business at a younger age gives him a greater runway to have success in his post-football endeavors.