Mark Ingram hopes to keep his NFL career alive into its 13th season, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

The former first-round pick said Monday on The Paul Finebaum Show that he doesn't plan to retire and believes the reduced wear-and-tear from being in so many committee backfields -- dating back to his Alabama days -- has been a positive, even if it's frustrating during a game.

"Splitting time, splitting backfields has been a blessing," Ingram said. "But it's also been frustrating at times because I felt like on several occasions or had I had the opportunity to be a feature guy, a bell cow, knowing I wake up Sunday knowing I'm going to get 20 touches, I think that's a little different. But I don't have any regrets. Every time, I just try to take advantage of my opportunities, try to take advantage of my role within the offense and maximize my touches any time that I had the opportunity to touch the ball.

"I think sharing backfields, I think not getting overloaded with 300 carries a season for like five or six seasons in a row, I think that has helped me make it to Year 13 and still have a good body where I feel strong, I feel explosive, I feel like I can contribute and produce at a high level. But also just mentally as well -- physical, emotionally, all that. That's why I think I still have that drive and that hunger and desire and I think that has something to do with me sharing the ball, splitting time over the years, even in college."

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/theredzoneorg 
 
Like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/Theredzone.org