Antonio Pierce Retires from NFL and Joins ESPN

NEW YORK, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Linebacker Antonio Pierce has retired from the NFL after nine seasons and is joining ESPN as an NFL analyst. Pierce appeared on NFL Live today (4:00 p.m. ET) to discuss his retirement from the NFL and his new role with the network.

Pierce will officially start in his new role with ESPN this month and will appear on "NFL Live," "Sports Center," "ESPN News" and 1050 ESPN New York. He also will provide weekly analysis for ESPNNewYork.com.

Pierce spent the past five seasons with the New York Giants and missed the final seven games of last season due to a neck injury that has led to his retirement.

He was the Giants' defensive captain and helped the team defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Pierce led the Giants in tackles three times, was a three-year captain, a Pro Bowl pick in 2006 and one of the inspirational leaders of a squad that did not have a losing season in his five years with the franchise. His five-year totals with the Giants: 537 tackles (322 solo), seven sacks, six forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and four interceptions. Pierce also had 44 postseason tackles (28 solo).

Pierce spent four seasons with the Washington Redskins before moving to the Giants. He played in 137 games, plus seven playoff games. He finishes his career with 687 tackles, nine sacks and seven interceptions.

"I am definitely going to miss the fans, the locker room talks, and the excitement of putting on a NFL uniform every Sunday, but I am ready to put on a new uniform, and I am extremely excited about contributing my knowledge and experience in this new endeavor to the championship team at ESPN. I thank my family, friends, teammates, and fans for their support throughout my career and as I move in this new and exciting direction," Pierce said in a statement.

Relevant Links:

www.AntonioPierce58.com

www.ESPN.com

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