Devin McCourty officially announced his retirement Friday, leaving the New England Patriots after 13 highly productive seasons.
After McCourty's announcement, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft released statements applauding the three-time Super Bowl-winning safety for his accomplishments on and off the field.
"It is a rare group of players who win games at a historic rate, exude team culture, lead, win awards, and win championships," Belichick said. "And then there is Devin McCourty. Devin did all of those things as a player and more. But, what I think of first when I think of Devin is the type of man he is, his character, his values and how high he raised the bar for spreading goodness and justice in the community."
"For 13 years, Devin made everyone in our organization feel better and be better because of who he is -- a pillar of professionalism, unselfishness, work ethic, preparation, intelligence and performance. I am excited to see him bring those same traits to his next chapter and brighten the lives of even more people."
In addition to being the vocal leader of the Patriots' defense and the linchpin of their secondary, McCourty also served as a team captain for 12 of his 13 seasons and was one of the most active New England players in the community, campaigning for social justice reform and raising money for sickle cell anemia research.
"As a Patriots fan, it's always bittersweet to see such an iconic player announce his retirement, but I couldn't be happier for Devin, Michelle, and the McCourty family or more thankful to his mother, Phyllis," Kraft said. "Through his individual performance and overall leadership, Devin has been such an important part of the success we have enjoyed over the past 13 seasons, including each of our last three Super Bowl championships.
"As great as his contributions were on the field, he made an even greater impact in the community, taking a leadership role in his advocacy for finding a cure for sickle cell anemia, effecting legislative change for criminal justice reform, and championing countless other educational and economical advancement initiatives.
"We couldn't have asked for a better leader and ambassador, both on and off the field."
McCourty, who turns 36 in August, spend his entire NFL career with New England and should be a shoo-in for the Patriots Hall of Fame. His leadership, durability, intelligence, versatility and coverage ability will be difficult to replace for the Patriots, who don't have an obvious successor on their roster.
