Antrel Rolle retires from football after 11 seasons in NFL
Giants safety Antrel Rolle speaks to the media after a brief team practice at Timex Performance Center that served as the start of training camp. (July 26, 2013) Credit: James Escher
At the end of the day, it’s the end of his career.
Antrel Rolle, the outspoken soul of the Giants defense that won Super Bowl XLVI, announced Monday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” that he no longer will be pursuing an opportunity to play in the NFL. The 33-year-old was last on an NFL roster last year with the Bears when an MCL injury landed him on injured reserve midway through the season.
“I’m done, yeah, I’m done,” Rolle said. “I’m at peace. I’m at total peace.”
In his five years with the Giants, Rolle was named to the Pro Bowl twice and was used as a versatile player in the secondary. Giants teammates created and wore T-shorts that asked “Where ‘Trel At?” as a way of saying he could play any position on the field.
Beyond his play, he also was known as an outspoken leader for the team. He often urged the defense to “show more dog” on the field, to fight harder, and had a habit of starting many of his statements with the phrase “at the end of the day.”
Rolle’s leadership helped the Giants win a Super Bowl in 2011, but it also helped keep the locker room together during the 0-6 start in 2013. He willed that team to keep from splintering and turning on each other during one of the most dreadful periods of recent Giants football.
He also signed one of the most efficient free-agent contracts in Giants history. He played every game of his five-year deal and then became a free agent after it expired. No release, no restructure, no extension.
Rolle finished his career with 834 tackles, four sacks, eight forced fumbles, 69 broken up passes, 26 interceptions and five defensive touchdowns.
“You know, like I said, going out, you’re 33 years old going on injured reserve last year, that’s going to scare a lot of teams away,” Rolle said. “I understand how the business works and I’m fine with that either way.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
