Andrew Whitworth is on the verge of retirement after just completing his 16th season in the NFL. He turned 40 in December and after doing so, he won a Super Bowl and was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year – a coveted award that recognizes a player’s excellence on and off the field.
Being the oldest player on the team and one of the oldest in the NFL, there’s quite the age gap between Whitworth and his other teammates. During an appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show, Whitworth talked about the feeling of being so much older than other players in the locker room.
“It usually involves their social media accounts or what they’re into that I just have no idea what they’re talking about. Sometimes they get into conversations that I literally, it’s like they’re speaking another language because I’ve got no idea what’s important to them or what they’re into,” Whitworth joked. “I just try to keep up the best I can, give a nod or a smile and act like I understand. It’s definitely one of those things I have felt probably over the last 4-5 years – really, when I hit 35-40 here has been one of the biggest, ‘Whoa, OK. Now I’m 15 years, 16 years removed from what some of these kids, their era of college and what things are like.”
“AOL baby!” – Andrew Whitworth describes the vast difference in age, interests, and communication between he and his younger teammates. 😂 pic.twitter.com/htLbkmaYjx
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) February 23, 2022
The world has changed considerably during Whitworth’s career, which began back in 2006. Players today grew up with Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, but social media wasn’t the same as it is today when Whitworth entered the NFL.
“I blow them all away with things like, ‘Well, we couldn’t text message when I was in high school. That didn’t happen until I was in college.’ Or Facebook didn’t come about until my rookie year in the NFL. They’re like, ‘What?! Facebook’s old news.’ Yeah, well it didn’t even exist when I was in college,” he said.
Whitworth was asked how he talked to his friends in high school, and his response was hilarious.
“AOL, baby! Hit that dial-up. ‘Mom, dad, you on the phone? Can I dial it up real quick?’” he said.
Whitworth still hasn’t officially announced his decision on the 2022 season yet, but if he does return, he’ll continue to fit right in in the Rams’ locker room – sort of.
