After 13 seasons in the NFL, the veteran wide receiver for the New England Patriots, Danny Amendola made his retirement official on Monday. He was given opportunities by the St. Louis Rams, Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans, though his time in Foxborough will be most cherished. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008.
“I love Danny,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said during his media availability Tuesday morning.
“He was a very good player for us. Had a lot of skill, mostly played inside but could play outside, could return, very smart, tough, dependable, great hands, concentration — just a good football player. Glad we had him here and he certainly was a big contributor for us.”
Amendola participated in 163 NFL games, making 76 starts, and recorded 617 receptions for 6,212 yards and 24 touchdowns.
His longest stint was spent in New England, where he excelled as a slot receiver and member of the special teams, hauling in 230 catches for 2,383 yards and making several big plays that helped the Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl contests.
Amendola gained the moniker “Playoff Danny” throughout the course of 13 postseason games, all for the Patriots, with 57 receptions for 709 yards and six touchdowns.
Not bad for a player who was tiny, undrafted, and bounced between two practice squads when he first entered the league before finding favor with the Rams.
