Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore returned to Foxborough, Mass., on Friday to retire as a member of the New England Patriots.
The five-time Pro Bowl cornerback played four seasons with the Patriots during a 13-year NFL career with six teams. He won a championship with New England in Super Bowl LIII.
Gilmore, who turns 36 on Saturday, last played in the NFL in 2024 and formally announced his retirement in April.
He recorded 32 interceptions, eight forced fumbles and 617 tackles over 180 games (173 starts) with the Buffalo Bills (2012-16), Patriots (2017-20), Carolina Panthers (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022), Dallas Cowboys (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2024).
His best season came with the Patriots in 2019. The Defensive Player of the Year led the NFL with six interceptions — returning two for touchdowns — and broke up a league-high 20 passes.
In the 2018 postseason, Gilmore intercepted two passes during the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl title. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2018 and 2019.
Gilmore is a native of Rock Hill, S.C., and played college football at South Carolina from 2009-11. He had eight interceptions for the Gamecocks and was the No. 10 overall pick by the Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft.
