DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Alstott to retire after 11 seasons in NFL

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/news/story?id=2967306


Alstott
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott is expected to announce his retirement Thursday, multiple Tampa Bay-area media outlets reported.

The team has scheduled a 2 p.m. ET press conference in Tampa, at which the retirement is expected to be announced.

The announcement comes after Alstott missed a third consecutive day of workouts Thursday as the team prepared for its preseason opener Friday against the New England Patriots. His retirement is reportedly not injury-related.

Alstott, who was entering his 12th year with the Bucs, is the team's all-time leader in touchdowns with 71 and rushing touchdowns with 58.

He is second in team history with 5,088 yards rushing and third in scoring with 432 points

Always like Alstott, hard nose run ya over type player, He would have fit rather well in Cleveland..Good Luck Mike..

I read somewhere once that starting in like junior high, Mike would just throw his Dad's pickup truck into neutral and just push it up and down the street for a workout.

Have a happy retirement, Mike. You earned it.

And the Bucs get a little crappier . . .

Wow, I didn't expect this.

GL to Alstott.

Mike Alstott....Touchdown Vulture........

I figure he's an Pro-Bowler as a fullback..

What do you guys think?

Is it possible that he's a hall of fame FB? If he's not, then nobody is. Anyways, I live in the Tampa Bay area and I just heard the news. I believe he's been considering it for a while, seems like rumors were floating last year about his retirement. Good Luck TD Vulture... btw, yes he would have fit well in Clevleand.

ESPN's coverage of things sucks.

Remember when they claimed Savage was going to be fired?

Well, looks like it has happened again - this time with Alstott.

The only thing that happened is he has another neck injury and was placed on Injured Reserve.

ESPN,, you just gotta love those guys don't ya

No good reporter lets the facts get in the way of his/her story

Here's the one from the Buc's site.

web page
Aug 09, 2007 -

He is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' all-time leading touchdown producer, second-leading rusher, third-leading receiver and just maybe the most popular player in franchise history, and he was supposed to be back for at least one more season in 2007.

Instead, fullback Mike Alstott will miss the upcoming campaign due to a neck injury that has forced the Buccaneers to place him on injured reserve. That announcement was made on Thursday afternoon at the Bucs' headquarters in Tampa, where the team has returned in order to play its preseason opener against New England on Friday night.

Alstott last missed a significant amount of playing time in 2003, when a worrisome neck injury knocked him out after four games and led to concerns that his NFL career was in jeopardy. Instead, Alstott worked hard to return from that injury and, after a modest rebound campaign in 2004, he turned in two very impactful seasons in 2005 and 2006. As for his latest neck injury and his current NFL status, Alstott has not yet decided whether he will attempt to extend his career in 2008 and beyond.


Whether or not it has another chapter or two, Alstott's career has been nothing short of magnificent. His career totals include 5,088 rushing yards, 305 receptions, 71 total touchdowns and an additional seven scores in the postseason. During the Buccaneers' 2002 run to the Super Bowl XXXVII title, Alstott rushed for 100 yards and four touchdowns, including one in the Super Bowl win over Oakland. He is only the second player in franchise history to pass the 5,000-yard rushing mark, and he reached that total even though he has essentially never been the team's lone primary running back.

Moreover, Alstott's career to this point has even eclipsed those impressive raw numbers. He is, to state the obvious, a fan favorite in the Bay area. He earned that position early in his career with a seemingly endless string of highlight-reel runs, and even later in his career he has provided a series of memorable moments, such as his game-winning two-point conversion against Washington in 2005. Suffice it to say that Alstott's eventual retirement, whether it be this season or after another successful return from IR, will be feted by a riveting highlight video.



For their part, the Buccaneers are not left bare at the fullback position, even if they have lost one of the most effective short-yardage ballcarriers in team history. B.J. Askew, the former New York Jet signed as a free agent this past offseason, is a willing lead blocker and a fine receiver out of the backfield. The team also has such versatile backs as Earnest Graham and Michael Pittman and can also make use of their talented tight end corps in a variety of H-back capacities.

Still, Thursday's news, which came on the eve of the team's 2007 preseason opener against New England, is disappointing for Buccaneer fans, who have become used to the sight of Alstott running over opposing defenders. Such highlights won't be on display at Raymond James Stadium in 2007; whether or not there is another chapter to Alstott's remarkable career remains to be decided.

He's just gotta be a first ballot HOFer... Just gotta

Watching the news, all of Tampa Bay here is pretty somber...Prolly because they know there season is over. Already.

"Let it go little buddy... let it go"