Ex-Bills, Titans, Falcons OL Andy Levitre Retires from NFL After 10 Seasons

Veteran offensive lineman Andy Levitre has retired after playing 10 seasons in the NFL with three teams.

He announced his decision to walk away Tuesday on Instagram:

"It all started as a big kid growing up in the mountains of Santa Cruz. I had a fire in my belly and a burning desire to be the best football player I could be. I was never the the most talented athlete on the field so I made the conscious choice to outwork everyone else. Coming from a high school that wasn't highly recruited I spent many nights piecing together my own VHS tapes to send off in hopes of being recruited. Some of my fondest memories are of my grandfather driving me around the country to meet with some different colleges. Although I may not have been able to reach all of my goals as an athlete, I can end this chapter of my life knowing I gave the game of football everything I had. I have memories that will last me a life time. I met my wife while I was playing in Buffalo. I fell in love with the city of Nashville while playing for the Titans. I also had to rush out after my first playoff game with the Falcons to attend the birth of my first child. Unfortunately, due to injury my body won't allow me to continue any longer. Thank you to my wife and children, my family, friends, coaches, teammates and all of the fans who have supported me on this journey. I am looking forward to shifting my time & energy to focus more on family, friends, restoring my health & pursuing other passions of mine. I hope you all have enjoyed my career as much as I have."

A second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2009, Levitre started all 64 games in four seasons with the franchise.

Levitre parlayed his success with Buffalo into a long-term contract with the Tennessee Titans after the 2012 season. While he started all 32 games in 2013 and 2014, the Titans traded him to the Atlanta Falcons in September 2015.

During the Falcons' run to Super Bowl LI in 2016, Levitre was a key piece on the offensive line. Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson ranked the Oregon State alum as Atlanta's top pass-blocker.

Triceps injuries took a toll on Levitre over the past two seasons. He suffered the injury in Week 13 of the 2017 campaign and was placed on injured reserve a month later. The California native started the first two games in 2018 before tearing his triceps and missing the rest of the season.

Levitre started 140 straight games from 2009 to 2017 and started all 143 NFL games he played. He was also a first-team All-American in his final year at Oregon State in 2008.