Stephon Gilmore, former South Carolina DB and 2019 DPOY, announces retirement
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Former South Carolina defensive back Stephon Gilmore, one of the best defensive players of the 2010s, announced on Thursday that he will be retiring from football after 13 professional seasons.
Gilmore was the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots. After being drafted No. 10 overall and spending 5 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore played 4 years with the Patriots, and 1 year each with the Panthers, Colts, Cowboys and Vikings.
Gilmore announced his retirement with the following video, with a message at the end reading, “The game ends here, but the journey continues.”
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Gilmore played 3 seasons at South Carolina before going on to dominate the NFL. He played as a freshman under Steve Spurrier, seeing consistent action in Years 1, 2 and 3. By the time his career in Columbia was over, Gilmore had accrued 8 interceptions, 15 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 181 combined tackles across 40 games played.
Gilmore appeared in 5 pro bowls and was named a first team All-Pro member twice. For his career, Gilmore totaled 617 tackles, 32 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles, 149 pass deflections, 2 defensive touchdowns and 1 sack.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
