Danny Amendola is calling it a career.
The former New England Patriots wide receiver announced his retirement Monday after 13 years in the NFL. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008, he earned opportunities with the St. Louis Rams, Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans -- though he'll be most remembered for his time in Foxborough.
"I love Danny," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said during his media availability Tuesday morning.
"He was a very good player for us. Had a lot of skill, mostly played inside but could play outside, could return, very smart, tough, dependable, great hands, concentration -- just a good football player. Glad we had him here and he certainly was a big contributor for us."
Amendola accumulated 617 receptions for 6,212 yards receiving and 24 touchdowns, playing in 163 NFL games with 76 starts.
His longest tenure came in New England, where he fit in perfectly as a slot receiver and special teamer, catching 230 passes for 2,383 yards and, not to mention, a number of clutch plays en route to Super Bowl victories against the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons.
"Very dependable, very dependable. He was tough. He blocked. We've been very fortunate to have some good players at that position," Belichick said, making note of receivers like Troy Brown, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, and Jakobi Meyers.
"Guys that have played in that spot have been different, but they've all been productive and they've all brought some of the same common characteristics to the inside receiver position. It's been a very productive spot for us through the years, through a lot of different types of plays, quarterbacks, play calls, defenses. We've been very, very fortunate with the players that we've had here, but Danny certainly ranks high in that group."
Across 13 postseason games, all for the Patriots, Amendola had 57 receptions for 709 yards and six touchdowns to earn the nickname "Playoff Danny."
Not bad for a player who entered the league undersized, undrafted, and having bounced between two practice squads before finally falling into favor with the Rams.
"It was better than I could have ever imagined," Amendola said, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, who reported the 36-year-old is ready to pursue other various interests.
Amendola signed a contract with Ford Models in 2017, and last year was featured in Architectural Digest for his interest in Interior Design and to show off his unique Austin, Texas home.
He'll surely keep busy with hobbies like those, but it would be no surprise to see him follow in the footsteps of Edelman and drip his feet into sports broadcasting.
