Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt announced his retirement on Wednesday afternoon, after spending eight seasons with the black and gold.
Tuitt made the announcement via a statement.
"With respect to the Steelers organization, my teammates, and coaches I would like to officially announce that I have come to the decision to retire from the NFL," said Tuitt in the statement. "I am thankful to have had the opportunity to represent the city of Pittsburgh for the past eight seasons, and am blessed to leave this game with my health. After the tragic loss of my brother Richard, and upon completing my degree from the University of Notre Dame, I know I am being called to move beyond the sport of football. I want to thank everyone for the love and support they have shown both on and off the field, and again want to thank The Rooney Family, Coach Tomlin, and the entire Pittsburgh organization. It was an honor and a privilege to play for this historic team. Go Steelers."
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan issued a statement as well.
"I want to thank Stephon for all he did for the Steelers during his eight-year career in Pittsburgh," said Khan in his statement. "His success both on and off the field speaks volumes for who he is as a person and a player. Stephon has always handled himself with class and maturity as he continues to be a great husband, father, son and family man in his personal life. Now that he has informed us he is retiring from football, we are all thrilled to see what he becomes as a person and professional after graduating from Notre Dame this past month. We are excited for what lies ahead in his life and will continue to support him in any way we can."
Tuitt was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame.
He played in 91 regular season games, starting 79. He finished his career with 246 tackles, including 176 solo hits, 93 quarterback hits, 48 tackles for a loss, 34.5 sacks and 13 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and an interception.
Tuitt started all eight of the postseason games he played, with 24 tackles, including two tackles for a loss, and two fumble recoveries.
