Sports

Aliquippa, NFL legend Darrelle Revis announces retirement

Darrelle Revis reacts before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Revis Island is now a retirement community.

Western Pennsylvania prep legend Darrelle Revis announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday via social media.

“Today I am closing a chapter in my life that I once dreamed of as a kid and I am officially retiring from the National Football League,” he wrote in a statement.

Revis carried Aliquippa to the 2003 PIAA state championship, scoring five touchdowns in the title game while also blocking a field goal and recording an interception. He also led the basketball team in scoring his junior and senior years, pocketing a pair of WPIAL championships, and ran on a 4x100 relay team that finished third in the state.

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After graduating, Revis stayed close to home, starring at Pitt as a cornerback for three seasons before going pro in 2007, where the New York Jets chose him with the No. 14 overall pick.

“The game of football has opened doors for me I once thought were nearly impossible to get through,” he said. “My passion to play the game at an elite level brought fun and excitement to the term ‘shutdown corner,’ which was nearly on the verge of extinction.”

He played six seasons with New York before going to Tampa Bay and New England – where he won Super Bowl XLIX – before returning to the Jets for two seasons. He played six games for the Kansas City Chiefs last season before they released him.

In his prime, Revis’ reputation as the premier shutdown cornerback in the league earned him the moniker “Revis Island,” where wide receivers got stranded.

Revis, a seven-time Pro Bowler named to four All-Pro teams, ends his Hall of Fame-caliber pro career with 29 interceptions and 140 passes defended.

“I’m excited as to what lies ahead as I pursue new ventures in different industries,” he said. “Long live Revis Island.”