Former Super Bowl champion announces retirement

The band is officially sending off one former New England Patriots champ.

Veteran linebacker Jamie Collins told Mike Reiss of ESPN in an interview on Friday that he is formally retired from the NFL.

“It hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m officially retired,” Collins told Reiss. “It was wonderful and something I never thought I would be a part of. I made a lot of great relationships. Had a ton of fun. Now it’s time to relax and be with my family.”

The 33-year-old Collins also called his 10-season NFL career “the ultimate dream come true.”

Collins is most associated with the Patriots. He had three total stints in New England and started on the team that topped the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. As a Patriot, Collins also made a Pro Bowl, was named to an All-Pro team and led the NFL in forced fumbles (all during the 2015 season).

In between his stints with the Pats, Collins played for the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions as well. The former second-round pick produced some pretty sick highlights during his career and will now look to produce more highlights during his post-football chapter.