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Former NFL fullback Rod Konrad talks about his ocean escape

Former Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad, left, talks about his ordeal of swimming nine miles to shore after he fell off his boat while fishing last week off the South Florida coast, during a news conference, Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, in Plantation, Fla. Konrad fell off his 36-foot-boat while fishing alone. The boat was on auto pilot and floated away. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Former Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad, left, talks about his ordeal of swimming nine miles to shore after he fell off his boat while fishing last week off the South Florida coast, during a news conference, Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, in Plantation, Fla. Konrad fell off his 36-foot-boat while fishing alone. The boat was on auto pilot and floated away. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

By Associated Press January 12, 2015 1 min read

PLANTATION, Fla. (AP) – Former NFL fullback Rod Konrad says he shouldn’t be here.

Konrad made the comment Monday at an emotional news conference where he talked about his death-defying 16-hour swim to shore last week after he fell off his fishing boat.

The 38-year-old Konrad’s escape was a testament to willpower and world-class athleticism. The first news reports of his adventure last week received world-wide publicity.

Konrad, who played for the Miami Dolphins from 1999 to 2004, said he had been around boats since he was a child growing up on Boston’s North Shore. His boat was on autopilot when he fell off it while fishing alone nine miles from shore.

He swam to Palm Beach, covering a distance of 27 miles before ringing the doorbell of an oceanfront home for help.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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