After the shocking news Wednesday afternoon that Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end, Stephon Tuitt, announced his retirement through a statement via the team's Twitter account, of course his teammates took to social media to share their thoughts.
The post from Heyward reads, "My brother made a decision that was best for him! You have made me a better player and always enjoyed playing beside you. As a teammate I was selfish in wanting you back but God has bigger goals for you! You are a father, husband, friend, son, brother and you will continue to keep shining! Plus now you are a graduate of Notre Dame! I’m so proud of you man can’t wait to see what next for you."
One of those teammates was defensive captain, Cam Heyward. Check out below:
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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive linemen, Stephon Tuitt (#91) and Cam Heyward (#97) celebrate at Heinz field in a regular season game against the Seattle Seahawks. | AP Photo
Tuitt played his collegiate ball at Notre Dame before being drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played eight seasons in the Steel City and racked up 246 tackles and 34.5 sacks during that time span. He also had 6 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, and 13 pass deflections. Although he never was named to a Pro Bowl, he was a dominant force for Pittsburgh, and the defense suffered without him.
The combination of Heyward and Tuitt was among one of the best defensive tandems in the NFL. It will be tough for all of Steeler Nation to finally say goodbye, knowing that Tuitt still possibly had some Pro Bowl caliber years left in him.
How are yinz feeling about the retirement of Tuitt? Make sure to click to comment below!
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