After nine solid seasons in the NFL, former Jets and Chiefs defensive end Mike DeVito has announced his retirement.
There was mutual interest between the 31 year old and the Chiefs for one more season, but in a heartfelt letter posted in the Bangor Daily News (Maine), DeVito said it was time for the next chapter.
"I want to thank the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs and all the amazing people I have met throughout my career," DeVito wrote. "To all my family, friends, and fans, thank you for making an average player feel like a hall of famer. And to the game of football, thank you for the past 18 years, all the memories, and the lessons that will continue to serve me for the rest of my life."
Though DeVito won't leave the game with any sack records, his place as one of the more versatile defensive ends in football over the last decade is secure. Pro Football Focus rated him one of the best players at his position in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
On top of that, DeVito was known as one of the kindest, most charitable and most accessible players in the NFL.
"This last lesson is the reason why I have made the decision to move on from football. It is this; there are more important things in life than football," he said. "As hard as it is to say goodbye to the game that has made me the man I am, I cannot wait for the second half of this journey through life, loving Jessie more and more every day and watching my son Rocco start a journey of his own."
