Veteran safety Antoine Bethea retires after 14 NFL seasons

Veteran safety Antoine Bethea announced his retirement Thursday after 14 NFL seasons.

Bethea, 36, made the announcement on social media, thanking each of the organizations he played for -- the Indianapolis Colts (eight seasons), San Francisco 49ers (three seasons), Arizona Cardinals (two seasons) and New York Giants (one season).

He ended his statement by writing, "From Newport News to Howard University, and a 6th Round Draft Pick, to a 14-year career, I have and always will live by my mantra 'Bet On Yourself"!

Bethea was selected to three Pro Bowls in his career and started 200 of the 209 games he played in, including all 16 games for the Giants in 2019 at the age of 35, when he registered 110 tackles.

He won a Super Bowl with the Colts in his rookie season and finishes his career with 1,333 tackles. He had 100 or more tackles in eight seasons. He also had 25 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and 9.5 sacks.