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Former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long announces his retirement from NFL

Frank Schwab
NFL writer
Jake Long announced his retirement from the NFL. (AP)
Jake Long announced his retirement from the NFL. (AP)

Jake Long will always be a part of NFL history, as all No. 1 overall picks are.

Long didn’t have the long, productive NFL career expected of him when the Miami Dolphins made him the top pick in 2008, but that wasn’t necessarily his fault. Long was just the second offensive lineman after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to be taken first overall, joining Orlando Pace. He was a good player early, making Pro Bowls in each of his first four seasons and even a first-team All-Pro spot in his third season, but injuries piled up.

Injuries are also why Long announced Monday, coincidentally three days before this year’s NFL draft, that he was retiring. He played last year with the Minnesota Vikings, his fourth team in five seasons, but made it through only four games. A torn Achilles tendon sent him to injured reserve. Less than a month before his 32nd birthday, Long called it quits, saying his body wasn’t cooperating with a long rehabilitation. He announced his retirement in a heartfelt message on Twitter, thanking many people who helped him make it in the NFL.

Long finished his career with 104 games played over nine seasons. He started all 16 games in each of his first three seasons, and missed time in each of his last six seasons due to injury.

On Thursday, another prospect – probably Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett – will add his name to the list of No. 1 overall picks in NFL history. Long’s bad luck with injuries is yet another reminder that nothing is guaranteed in the draft.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!