Veteran Pittsburgh Steelers guard Ramon Foster announced his retirement on Monday.
The 34-year-old played 160 games (145 starts) with the Steelers since 2009, when the team signed him as an undrafted free agent.
“When the time comes, you just know and now is a time for me to take a bow,” Foster wrote on Instagram. “I’ve had a long, fun and life changing career. Who would have ever thought an undrafted kid out of the University of Tennessee would make it in the NFL for 11 years. I’ve made some friends for a lifetime, had some moments that I’ll never forget and seen some things I never thought I would because of this game.”
He played in at least 14 games in 10 of his 11 seasons. He was second to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in length of service among current Steelers.
“I want to congratulate Ramon on his career in Pittsburgh,” coach Mike Tomlin said in a team-released statement. “Ramon was class in every way, professional in every way, and I think his career is indicative of what this professional football journey should be about. He went from being an undrafted free agent to giving us over a decade of service at an extremely high level. I am honored to be associated with him and wish he and his family the best of luck in his retirement.”