After a dozen years in a Steelers uniform, cornerback Ike Taylor is retiring from the NFL, the team announced Tuesday.
Taylor, an unrestricted free agent, was a fourth-round selection by Pittsburgh in the 2003 draft out of Louisiana-Lafayette. The Steelers drafted recently retired Troy Polamalu in the first round of the same draft.
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"Other than having my son, playing for the Steelers has been the best experience in my entire lifetime," Taylor said in a release. "It is rare, in this day of free agency that is super rare to play for one team. For me to have this opportunity says a lot about how they felt about me, what I gave back to the organization.
"I wasn’t cut, I wasn’t released. It was just my contract was up and it was time to retire. If you want to have pride, well that is the kind of pride I have, being able to play my contract out."
Taylor started 135 games and finished his career with 517 total tackles, 14 interceptions, three sacks, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.