PRAIRIE, Minn. — Chad Greenway officially extinguished the flame on his 11-year professional career Tuesday morning at Winter Park as the linebacker announced his retirement from the NFL.
But a constant theme during the celebration of Greenway was how the former first-round pick has carried the torch for small-town kids to grow up and achieve big dreams.
Greenway grew up on a farm in Mount Vernon, South Dakota, a town with a population of 400. He played 9-man football in high school, grew into a star linebacker at the University of Iowa and was the 17th overall pick by the Vikings in the 2006 NFL Draft.