Wide Receiver Calls It Quits

This is yesterday's news and if you follow me on Twitter you already know, but Derrick Mason has called it quits. Derrick Mason is the classy receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He is more famous for his time with Tennessee where he was Steve McNair's go to guy. Mason spent 8 years in Tennessee before spending 6 in Baltimore. He actually holds a few Ravens team records, including career catches and yards. Actually, Mason ranks 2nd on the team list in career TD catches.

Derrick Mason split time between the Jets and Texans last year, but he thought of himself as a Raven the whole time. In fact Mason said this about his retirement, "the decision wasn't hard to retire, and the decision where to retire was just as easy. My heart was here. It never left. My body left, but my heart stayed right in this room."

Mason will probably best be known as McNair's top receiver in both Tennessee and Baltimore. McNair was briefly with Mason for the Ravens. Derrick Mason briefly retired in 2009 following the McNair murder suicide because it so deeply effected him. He had this to say about his former teammate, "I can't leave without thanking Steve. Him and I, more or less, grew up together in the game of football my first eight years and one here. Because of him, my numbers are what they are. Because he looked for me, he trusted me, he counted on me. I hope I never failed him. He will always be No. 1 with me."

"My run is over. It was a good one," he said. "I'm happy."   

"It was fun," he said. "I want to be remembered as a guy who went out there and did his job the way he knew how - hard and fast.".   

Derrick Mason did his job very well and he was a great teammate. He helped make watching Ravens games fun. The NFL needs more guys like Mason, not less.

-Noland