National Football League

Bucs LB Brooks announces retirement

Published Aug. 11, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks is officially retiring from the NFL, making the announcement in a two-minute video presentation.

The 11-time Pro Bowl selection hasn't played in the league since being released by the Bucs following the 2008 season. He thanked fans, coaches and former teammates, including Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Simeon Rice, in the video message posted Wednesday on the web site derrickbrooks.tv.

''I simply want to say thank you to all you fans for supporting Derrick Brooks as well as the Buccaneers throughout my 14 years,'' Brooks said.

The Bucs have scheduled a news conference for Thursday.

Brooks played 14 seasons, helping transform Tampa Bay from a franchise that had been the laughingstock of the NFL into Super Bowl champions. He was the NFL defensive player of the year in 2002, the season the Bucs won the Super Bowl.

Brooks was selected to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls beginning in 1997. He was released in February 2009 and, despite insisting he was still capable of playing at a high level, was not signed by another team.