Former Oregon safety Patrick Chung is hanging up his cleats after a successful NFL career.
The Patriots safety shared the news on Instagram.
Chung was selected by the Patriots with the 34th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. He would spend 10 seasons in New England and 1 season in Philadelphia with the Eagles. He was part of three NFL championships with the Patriots: Super Bowl XLIX, LI, and LIII.
He opted-out of the 2020 NFL season--citing caution for his family's amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Chung was one of the mainstays in New England's secondary, providing help over the top of the defense and knocking receivers around.
He finished his pro career with 778 tackles, 11 interceptions, and 57 pass breakups. The former defensive star was one of the most highly-regarded defensive backs from Oregon to make it to the league, along players like CB Troy Hill (LA Rams, UFA), S Ugo Amadi (Seattle Seahawks), and Terrance Mitchell (Houston Texans).
He spent five seasons in Eugene from 2004 to 2008. During his time at Oregon, he was named to the All-Pac-10 first team twice, and was a second-team all-American in 2007. The Ducks will look to names like Jevon Holland, Thomas Graham Jr., and Deommodore Lenoir to continue their tradition of sending defensive backs to the NFL.
More must-reads: