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TAMPA (FOX 13) - Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Louis Murphy Jr. comes to the field driven and determined that his days in the NFL aren't over. His recovery from ACL surgery in 2015 cost him 22 games and ultimately a spot on the Bucs' roster.
He suffered a setback with a hamstring injury on his first day back to practice, which led to his release last November.
"That was devastating," Murphy said. "I haven't even spoken about it. It was tough mentally. I didn't want to talk to the media. I didn't want to talk to my family about it. I was in a daze."
For now, Murphy works tirelessly, waiting for a call to get back into the game. Any thoughts of retirement have faded along with the concerns about his repaired knee.
"I did think about retiring, I did think about retiring -- until the playoffs came," laughed Murphy. "Sitting on the couch and watching the playoffs, I was like, 'Nah, no way I can leave the game off an injury.' I'm going to give it my all to give it another go."
A lot of NFL players could retire feeling satisfied with an eight-year NFL career, but that's not Murphy. He still has unfinished business. He has yet to make the playoffs.
"I want to win a championship," he continued. "I want to win a Super Bowl. "Win in the ultimate sport, America's game. There's nothing like it."
Murphy wants to win with the hometown team he grew up cheering for and the last team he suited up for.
"I would live to be apart of it," he added. "But it's a business and I wish the Bucs nothing but success. I'm going to be patient. I'm going to trust God and see what he has in store for my life. Whatever he has I'm going to go with."
Numerous teams have shown interest and have inquired about his health, including the Bucs, but for now Murphy works and waits.