San Diego Chargers OL Jeromey Clary announces retirement

After nine years with the San Diego Chargers, offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has announced he is retiring from football.

Per the Chargers.com press release, "San Diego is a great place to play, and I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to play for," Clary said. "All the coaches and all the players I was with, and the friendships I’ve built … I’m honored to have played for an organization like this.  It means the world to me."

Clary originally joined the Chargers as a 6th round pick out of Kansas State. Originally a practice squad player, Clary would join the active roster in 2007. He would go on to start 93 games mostly at tackle, but later at guard.

He was much maligned by a vocal segment of the fan base, but was well respected in the locker room and by management. His teammates voted him the 2010 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award when he was able to come back from an ankle injury to start 16 full games.

While he struggled with speed rushers, Clary was consistent and rarely made mental mistakes. His transition to guard, while not flawless, was mostly successful and the team was better when he was on the field than when Johnnie Troutman was forced to replace him. He was missed this season and his teammates will very likely miss him in the future.