New England Patriots fullback James Develin announced his retirement from football on Monday, citing "unforeseen complications" from a neck injury that sidelined him for the majority of the 2019 season.
Develin, 31, who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2017, overcame long odds to break through in the NFL.
After playing on the defensive line at Brown University, he joined the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of AF2 (the minor league of the Arena Football League) before signing with the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad for the final five games of the 2010 season.
He spent 2011 on the Bengals' practice squad, and after the Bengals released him on Aug. 31, 2012, the Patriots signed him to their practice squad the next day. Develin earned a brief promotion to the Patriots' roster late in the 2012 season before finding a permanent spot the following season.
Overall, he played in 81 regular-season games (29 starts), as well as 14 playoff games (six starts). He was part of three Super Bowl championship teams, with his contributions especially notable in the 2018 season, when the Patriots turned into a power running team late in the season in a stunning transformation.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick often lauded Develin's versatility and said in a statement Monday that he was one of the most respected players the Patriots ever had.
"In football, there are a lot of tough, unselfish and dependable people who bring positive leadership on a daily basis, but the name James Develin represents those qualities at an elite level," Belichick said in a news release announcing Develin's retirement. "A tribute to the impact James had on our success, of the five seasons in which he appeared in every game, we won three championships. Any team would be fortunate to have a James Devlin type on its roster, but the reality is he is a rarity and we are very fortunate he was a Patriot."
Develin took to social media Monday to thank the Patriots organization for his many seasons with the team.
Safety Patrick Chung was one of the first to reply to Develin's Instagram post. "You're a great man, father and husband. Going to miss you on the field,'' Chung wrote. "Keep being you and you'll be successful in anything you do my man.''
The Patriots have used the fullback as much as any other team in the NFL under coordinator Josh McDaniels. This offseason, they agreed to a one-year deal with former Packers fullback Danny Vitale and selected Virginia Tech H-back Dalton Keene in the third round of the NFL draft, which foreshadowed Develin's time on the field coming to an end.
A native of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Develin was widely respected in the Patriots organization. While he spent the 2019 season on injured reserve, he remained around the team in a coaching-type capacity, traveling to road games in a rarity for those in his situation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.