Longtime Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie is borrowing a page from his friend Eli Manning, and walking out without ever having played for another team.
DeOssie announced Friday that he was retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons.
“As many of you know, I made this decision months ago, but I wanted to make a formal announcement to acknowledge those who have made this experience so awesome — and this milestone so bittersweet,” DeOssie wrote in a statement. “To everyone at the New York Football Giants — teammates, coaches, trainers, management, ownership, and everyone else who impacted my career and daily experience in big and small ways: I can’t thank you enough for the best 13 years of my life. I have worked with, and for, the best of the best, and that has made me better in every way, every single day. I am forever grateful for the opportunity, the lifelong friendships, and ten lifetimes worth of memories — the big wins on big stages, the tiny victories behind the scenes, and the challenges that have taught me so much.
“Eli said it best: Once a Giant, Always a Giant, Only a Giant. What an honor.”
The 36-year-old DeOssie was a fourth-round draft pick in 2007, and snapped in 199 games before going on injured reserve last season. He was a part of a pair of Super Bowl title teams, alongside Manning.
The Giants have former Broncos snapper Casey Krieter on the roster now, and they can only hope to get such a run out of him.