Devin McCourty (long-time New England Patriots Captain and Pro-Bowl database DB) announces his retirement

Devin McCourty, a long-serving safety for the New England Patriots, has made it his career.

McCourty posted on social media Friday afternoon his NFL retirement announcement.

“BREAKING NEWS!!! It’s not about the destination, McCourty posted on social media. “It’s about the JOURNEY!!”

McCourty spent his whole 13-year NFL career with the Patriots. He produced 971 tackles, 110 pass deflections, 35 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in 205 career regular-season games — all as a starter. He was one the most reliable players in franchise history. In 2015, he was last to miss a regular-season match.

He is one of the most prominent players on the Patriots, at 35 years old. He was a 12-time captain of the team, three-time Super Bowl champ and was elected to two Pro Bowls.

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick stated in a statement that “It’s a rare group who win games at an historic rate, exude team spirit, lead, win award and win championships.” Devin McCourty. Devin was a professional player who did all these things.

Devin’s character, his character and his values are what I remember most about him. He raised the bar in the community for justice and goodness. 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.”

The Patriots originally drafted McCourty No. 27, out of Rutgers, in the 2010 NFL Draft.

McCourty’s twin brother, Jason, retired in 2022.

This article first appeared on USA TODAY. Devin McCourty ends his NFL career: New England Patriots DB retires