Super Bowl Champion & Ex-Tom Brady Teammate Announces Sudden Retirement Ahead Of Training Camp
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Another piece of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2020 Super Bowl-winning roster is officially moving on from the NFL.
Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor announced his retirement on Friday afternoon, closing out a nine-year career that began with a seventh-round selection by the Buccaneers in the 2017 draft. O’Connor spent the bulk of his career in Tampa Bay before finishing things out with the Detroit Lions.
Pat O’Connor Reflects On A Career Built With Two Teams
O’Connor shared the news in a heartfelt Instagram post, looking back on a journey he admitted even surprised him.
“If you had told my younger self that I’d play this long, spend my entire career with just two teams, get drafted, and win a Super Bowl, he would have called you crazy,” O’Connor wrote. “But here we are.”
He went on to thank the teammates, friends and coaches who shaped his career, calling the experience one he wouldn’t trade for anything.
“As one chapter closes, another begins,” he added. “Now it’s time to enter the real world. I’m beyond excited and ready for whatever comes next.”
O’Connor served as a rotational defensive tackle throughout his time with the Buccaneers, recording his first career sack against Kirk Cousins in 2020 and playing a role on special teams, including a blocked punt recovery that same season. He also appeared in all four of Tampa Bay’s playoff games during their run to Super Bowl LV, a title the Buccaneers captured with a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium.
Pat O’Connor Joins A Growing Group Of Bucs Alumni Stepping Away
O’Connor’s retirement continues a trend among members of that championship roster, many of whom have started calling it a career as the years pass. Longtime linebacker Lavonte David announced his own retirement earlier this year after 14 seasons with the franchise, while pass rusher Shaq Barrett confirmed his playing days were over late last year following his second Super Bowl title.
Defensive lineman Khalil Davis also stepped away from the league at just 28 years old, despite earning a ring of his own during that same Buccaneers era.
O’Connor never became a household name during his career, but he built something plenty of late-round picks never manage: a Super Bowl ring, nine NFL seasons, and the respect of teammates and coaches along the way. As more names from that 2020 title team wind down their careers, O’Connor’s retirement serves as another reminder of just how far removed the NFL now is from that championship run in Tampa.
