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Titans tackle Brad Hopkins retires Teresa M. Walker
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Left tackle Brad Hopkins retired Wednesday after 13 seasons, deciding to leave the game rather than play for a team other than the one that drafted him.
The Tennessee Titans released Hopkins in March for salary cap reasons. He talked with the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons and an undisclosed fourth team but chose to stay in Nashville with his wife and four children.
"This is the place I grew up," Hopkins said.
He thought about playing another two or three years, or start the next stage of his life in broadcasting.
"These are things I'll be doing the next 20-30 years. Avoiding the inevitable to me didn't make any sense. I've got to get started somewhere. Ultimately, that's why I made the decision I did," Hopkins said.
Nobody started more games at left tackle in the NFL between 1993 and 2005 than Hopkins, who had 188. Only Willie Roaf had more starts at both right and left tackle during those years with 189 at New Orleans and Kansas City. Hopkins' total doesn't include 10 playoff games, including the 2000 Super Bowl.
He finished his career third on the team with 194 games played and second among offensive linemen with 188 starts, trailing only former teammate Bruce Matthews (292).
Coach Jeff Fisher handed Hopkins a sheet of paper Wednesday, joking that it was a US Dollar 750 fine for being late to his own news conference. Fisher then said it's every player's dream to control his own destiny.
"What he's walking away from is an incredible career," Fisher said.
Hopkins started 15 games in 2005, missing the opener because of a suspension for a domestic dispute with his wife. He helped the Titans rank ninth in the league in passing offense.
The then-Oilers traded up from 19th to 13th overall in 1993 to draft Hopkins out of Illinois, where he was an All-American as a senior.
He finished his career blocking for 14 quarterbacks and 19 running backs — all with the same team.
Hopkins blocked for the team's all-time leading rusher, helping Eddie George top 10,000 yards, and he was the only left tackle that quarterback Steve McNair had in his first 11 years. McNair was traded last week to the Baltimore Ravens after a long offseason contract standoff.
"I trusted him completely, and that peace of mind that he was protecting my blindside allowed me to be a better quarterback and find the open receivers," McNair in a statement.
Hopkins played one season with Hall of Fame lineman Mike Munchak, then was coached by him the past nine seasons. He also played beside Matthews for the final nine years of his career.
"I really enjoyed playing with him through the years and saw him grow as a player on a yearly basis. It is strange, but since I retired, you sort of took Brad for granted that he was always going to be there. And now that he is retiring, I feel a little older today," Matthews said in a statement.
Hopkins survived the team's relocation from Houston to Tennessee and missed only five games between 1999 and 2003 when the renamed Titans tied for a league-high 56 victories. He missed 14 games in 13 seasons, five in 2004 after he broke bones in his right hand only to play the final three games.
"He's like our shutdown corner playing left tackle," Munchak said.
Hopkins said he didn't have any regrets and said he and his teammates accomplished so much.
"It wasn't that long ago that we were riding convertibles downtown, and it was all this confetti just flying all over the place and the next year battling back to almost the same spot," Hopkins said of the Super Bowl loss and posting the NFL's best record at 13-3 in 2000.
"We're still winners here with the records we've set."
Released on: Jun 15, 2006
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