CRYSTAL LAKE – Bryan Bulaga watched former Green Bay linemates Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton reach the end of the NFL road in the last two years.

Tauscher was released in 2011, Clifton in 2012. While neither officially announced they were retired, neither has played since. Their departures from the Packers, along with the most serious injury of Bulaga’s still-young professional career, hammered home the harsh reality of NFL life.

“You kind of know this game doesn’t last forever,” said Bulaga, a 2007 Marian Central graduate. “There’s only so much your body can take after so many years of pounding from high school to the pro level. It’s all about ‘How you can keep your body healthy as long as possible?’ ”