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LeGarrette Blount announced his retirement from the NFL via Instagram. Blount, who turned 34 on Saturday, played in the NFL for nine seasons. A three-time champion, the running back won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Blount’s professional career began with the Tennessee Titans, signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010. After surviving the final cuts for the Titans’ 53-man roster, he was eventually waived. Before the Titans got the chance to place him on the practice squad, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed the rookie off waivers. From there, his NFL journey truly began.
Blount played for the Buccaneers for three seasons, rushing for 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign. He was traded to the Patriots in 2013. A free agent the following year, Blount inked a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He appeared in just 11 games in his tumultuous stay in Pittsburgh. In his final game with the team, he did not receive a single carry and left the field early. He was ultimately released by the Steelers, paving his return to the Patriots.
Rejoining the Patriots in Nov. 2014, Blount eventually helped the Pats win Super Bowl XLIX. He led the NFL in touchdowns (18) in 2016, his final season with the Patriots that ended with another Super Bowl title. Blount then joined the Philadelphia Eagles the following year, winning his third and “favorite” Super Bowl.”
In what turned out to be his final season in the NFL, Blount played the 2018 campaign with the Detroit Lions.
For his career, Blount accumulated 6,306 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns. In eleven playoff games, Blount registered 600 yards and 11 TDs. To commemorate the running back officially calling it quits, let’s look back at the five best games of his career.
5. 127 rushing Yards, 2 TDs vs former team
Game: New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
When: October 23, 2016
As alluded to, LeGarrette Blount’s tenure with the Steelers did not work out. The tailback registered only two rushing scores with the club before being cut in 2014.
Fast forward two years, Blount managed two reach the end zone twice in one game against the Steelers at Heinz Field. Blount darted for 127 yards, the fifth-best yardage total of his career, in the Patriots’ 27-16 victory over the Steelers.
https://twitter.com/jpombo24/status/1319615940007464961
The Patriots leaned on Blount and their defense against the Steelers, who were playing without Ben Roethlisberger. Blount ran for a TD in the second quarter and then tacked on another in the final period. The Patriots won to improve to 6-1 in their Super Bowl-winning campaign.
4. Runs for 164 yards as a rookie
Game: Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When: December 26, 2010
Despite not being drafted, Tampa Bay Buccaneers halfback LeGarrette Blount logged the most rushing yards among rookies in 2010 with 1,007. Blount became the second undrafted running back in league history to produce 1,000 yards in his rookie year. At the time, Dominic Rhodes was the only other player to manage this feat, doing so in 2001 with the Indianapolis Colts.
In Week 16, Blount exploded for 164 yards in the Bucs’ thrashing of the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie managed an absurd 9.1 yards per attempt. Tampa Bay throttled visiting Seattle, 38-15.
3. Rushes for 148 yards, 3 TDs in AFC Championship rout
Game: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (2014 AFC Championship)
When: January 18, 2015
The Patriots fed Blount the rock as much as possible in the 2014 AFC Championship. Blount turned 30 carries into 148 yards and three TDs in the Patriots’ 45-7 stomping of the Colts.
Blount found the end zone in the first quarter, before scoring two second-half TDs.
Two weeks after blowing out the Colts, the Patriots defeated the defending champion Seahawks to capture their fourth Lombardi Trophy.
2. Breaks Patriots record with 334 all-purpose yards, including career-best 189 rushing yards
Game: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
When: December 29, 2013
LeGarrette Blount saved the best game of his 2013 season for Week 17. In the Patriots’ final regular-season contest, Blount put together a historic outing.
Blount rushed for a career-high 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also returned two kickoffs for 145 yards, giving him 334 all-purpose yards—a Patriots single-game record.
LeGarrette Blount set a franchise record for all-purpose yards today with 334 (189 rushing & 145 returning kicks).
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 30, 2013
How dominant was Blount’s performance? His 334 all-purpose yards were the 12th-most ever recorded in an NFL game.
The 34-20 win secured a first-round bye for the Patriots.
1. Scores Patriots playoff-record 4 TDs, ties Curtis Martin's mark with 166 rushing yards
Game: Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (2013 AFC Divisional Round)
When: January 11, 2014
In one of the most legendary playoff performances by a running back in NFL history, Blount shredded the Colts for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the 2013 AFC Divisional Round. In addition to setting a Patriots playoff record with 4 TDs, he became the second player ever to rush for four or more touchdowns in a postseason contest. (Raheem Mostert became the third player in league history to accomplish this feat last playoffs.)
By gaining 166 yards on the ground, Blount tied Curtis Martin’s record for most rushing yards by a Patriots player in a playoff contest. Blount’s rushing total was a playoff career-high.
Blount scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. He added his third TD in the second quarter. He capped off his incredible game with a 73-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Patriots cruised to a 43-22 victory at Gillette Stadium.
