We have another significant retirement prior to the start of the NFL season as Defensive End Elvis Dumervil has announced his retirement.

Drafted in the 4th Round out of the University of Louisville by the Denver Broncos, Dumervill had 8.5 Sacks in his rookie season and he was a starter in his second where he recorded 12.5. Dumervil had a breakout season in 2009 with 17.5 Sacks and a trip to the Pro Bowl and a selection to the First Team All Pro roster.

A torn pectoral muscle would keep him out of the 2010 season but he would return in 2011 and went to the Pro Bowl in both that year and 2012, but a contract snafu at the end of the season made him a free agent and he would sign with the Baltimore Ravens, where he would go to two more Pro Bowls and earn a second spot on the First Team All Pro roster. He would finish his career with the San Francisco 49ers last year.

Dumervil retires as a member of the 100 Sack club (105.5).

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish the Elvis Dumervil the best in his post-playing career

Manu Ginobili announced today via his Twitter that at the age of 41 he is ending his career in the National Basketball Association. As you would expect, he did so in a humble and simple way:

“Today, with a wide range of feelings, I’m announcing my retirement from basketball. It’s been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams”

From Argentina, Ginobili began his career playing in the Argentinian League and at age 20 would move to Europe to play for Viola Reggio Calabria in the Italian 2nd Division, where his efforts were good enough to get the team promoted to the 1st Division. He caught the attention of NBA Scouts and he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs and he would be drafted in the 2nd Round, 57th Overall in 1999. The Argentine would not sign with the Spurs but would continue to play in Italy where he signed with Virtus Bologna where he played for two seasons. Ginobili would help Bologna win the EuroLeague in 2001 and was named the Finals MVP. He truly had his coming out party in 2002, where in Indianapolis he helped Argentina win the Silver Medal in 2002 and he was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was then ready for the NBA.

It took awhile for Ginobili to really find his groove in the Association but once he did he proved how much of a steal he was in the draft. Ginobili’s rookie season in the regular season was not headturning but his playoffs were as his minutes increased and he helped San Antonio win the Championship. His play gradually improved and in the 2004-05 season he was named a reserve in the All Star Game and now as a bona fide starter he had a much larger role in helping San Antonio win another title. This would cap a spectacular twelve month period as Ginobili led Argentina to a surprise win at the 2004 Olympics.

Ginobili would become part of San Antonio’s “Big Three” along with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and while injuries began to pile up, Ginobili was still very effective posting good traditional numbers and even better advanced metrics. From the 2004-05 Season to the 2011-12 Season, the Shooting Guard never had a PER under 20 and had a 16.5 PPG. He would go to his second All Star Game in 2011, while also winning another NBA Title (2007) and a Bronze Medal in the 2008 Olympic Games. He was also named an NBA Third Team NBA All Star twice (2008 & 2011)

Following this stretch, Ginobili, who previously was used both as a starter and reserve, was relegated to a bench role permanently, but his selfless attitude and still effective shot still made him valuable to the Spurs, which was shown as he helped them win the championship again in 2014.

Ginobili leaves behind a legacy as a clutch performer, an incredible teammate and consummate winner. He is one of only two players to with the EuroLeague, the Olympics and an NBA Championship, and his overall body of work should be enough to land him into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Manu Ginobili for the great memories on the court and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.

Another day in the NFL preseason and we have another NFL retirement to discuss as Wide Receiver Eric Decker has announced that he is done playing professional career

A 2010 third round pick from the University of Minnesota, Decker became a starter in 2011 and would record his first of two straight solid seasons for Denver after. He would net 85 and 87 receptions in 2012 and 2013 respectively with 1,000 Yards in both seasons. He would help the Broncos reach Super Bowl XLVII (albeit in a losing effort).

Decker would sign with the New York Jets where he played three seasons and had another 1,000 Yard Season (2015). He finished his career in 2017 with the Tennessee Titans and he signed with the New England Patriots in this off season. He did play in this pre-season and prior to his retirement it was uncertain whether he would make the roster.

While Eric Decker was never a Pro Bowler he retires with a pretty good career of 439 Receptions, 5,816 Receiving Yards and 53 Touchdown Receptions. This may not be a Hall of Fame career (he is however eligible in 2023) but a damned good one.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Eric Decker the best in his post-playing career.

We have another retirement in the National Football League to mention as Tight End Julius Thomas has announced that he will be retiring from the National Football League to pursue a doctorate in psychology.

Thomas played collegiately at Portland State where he was drafted in the fourth round by the Denver Broncos in 2011. He would see little action in his first two seasons but would have a breakout 2013 season where we was named to the Pro Bowl with 65 Reception/788 Yard season where he also had a dozen Touchdowns. That year, the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl, although the Seattle Seahawks handily defeated them. He would have another Pro Bowl season in 2014 where he tied his mark for 12 Touchdowns.

He would sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2015 where he would play two more seasons and he would finish off his career with Miami last year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Julius Thomas the best in his post-playing career.