Jake Coker, QB for Alabama's '16 title, retires from football

Former Alabama quarterback Jake Coker is hanging up his spikes.

"I'm just going to move on," Coker told WNSP-FM in Mobile, Ala., as transcribed by The Spun's Matt Lombardi. "I had another surgery when I was with the (Arizona) Cardinals, and that was kind of the last thing. I didn't want another surgery. I'm just kind of ready to move on. I'm excited about what's ahead."

After a shaky first few games to open the 2015 campaign, Coker developed into a steady signal-caller for the Tide. He threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns in Alabama's 45-40 victory over Clemson in the 2016 national championship game. He went undrafted before latching on with the Cardinals as a rookie free agent, but did not see the field last season.

Coker, who has another ring in his trophy case from his days as a backup at Florida State, is content with how his career on the gridiron played out.

"To be honest with you, my main goal in football was to win a national championship at Alabama," the Mobile native said. "That was my dream growing up and I got to fulfill that. I have no regrets with what I've done or what I'm doing now. I had a blast doing it and I couldn’t be more happy with the outcome."