Why did Special Forces: World's Toughest Test star Andrew East step away from the NFL? Retirement explained

NFL fame Andrew East is currently a part of season 4 of FOX’s popular competitive reality show, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. 

However, fans have known him from his stint in the NFL, which he quit in 2022.

It also marked his retirement from professional football, as he focused on prioritizing family life and pursuing other career goals.

In March 2022, Andrew took to social media to announce his retirement, saying:

“I realized that the best decision for me and the best next step for me is to retire from professional football.”

He added that it was time for him to start the “next chapter,” which he looked forward to with excitement. 

The Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test star took the drastic step to pay more attention to his expanding family.

Andrew is a father of three children, born in October 2019, July 2021, and December 2023. 

While announcing his retirement, Andrew also mentioned that it was time for him to prioritize the “important things” in his life. 

That said, he also mentioned that his passion for the sport had begun to “simmer,” as he stopped getting calls from teams. It made him realize that it should have quit “a couple of years ago.”

What does Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test fame Andrew East do now?

After retiring from football, Andrew joined his wife, Shawn, to start life as full-time media and content creators. 

In his retirement video, Andrew explained that he and his wife were building a platform that they wished to use to “impact thousands of families in a meaningful way.”

“That, to me, is my new mission,” he added.

What started as a casual venture, mainly because Andrew didn’t have a job, turned into something meaningful the moment the first couple of YouTube videos received comments from people. 

At the time of writing, the couple has 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube and hosts the Couple Things podcast. 

Moreover, they sell “all-in-one superpowder” for children called Beam Kids, which claims to support a child’s "growth, immunity, digestion, and focus."

In his Instagram bio, Andrew describes his and his wife’s content as “family friendly, kinda cheesy,” and “hopefully cute.”

Looking into Andrew East’s time in the NFL

Before playing for the NFL, the Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test star played at Vanderbilt University, serving as the team’s long snapper from 2011 to 2014. 

In May 2015, Andrew was signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. However, he was released that August. 

In early 2016, he started as a reserve with the Seattle Seahawks, but was waived by March. 

He was then signed by the Oakland Raiders in April 2016. However, even that journey ended in August of that year. 

In March 2017, he joined the Los Angeles Rams, but only lasted two months before being waived. The Raider called him back in July 2017, but waived him in September. 

They then signed him on a reserve/future contract in January 2018, but even that did not last long enough. 

In June 2018, Andrew was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was released the following month. 

After getting allocated to the Memphis Express, he joined the Washington Commanders after their long snapper was injured. 

However, they waived him in August 2019. 

During his time in the NFL, Andrew played three professional games.

Stay tuned for more updates.