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This is it for an all-time great.

The NFL career of Darius Shaquille Leonard wasn't a long one.

But it was a special one, almost entirely spent in an Indianapolis Colts uniform.

Leonard officially announced his retirement on Wednesday. He played in just six NFL seasons, and he's only 30 years old.

Shaq has chosen to hang up his cleats, though, and he left quite a legacy.

The Colts drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of South Carolina State.

Immediately, Leonard starred. He put up a career-high 163 tackles as a rookie with seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Leonard intercepted five passes the next season, his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods coming along.

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And for five-and-a-half seasons, Leonard was a dominant force for the Colt.s

He closed his NFL career out with five games for the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the 2023 season.

Only now has he chosen to be done with football for good.

Leonard only ended up playing 75 NFL games, but in that time, he had 637 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 16 sacks and 12 interceptions.

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He was one of the most remarkable playmaking middle linebackers of this or any generation.

They called him "The Maniac," a nickname that might not seem flattering but also summed up his absolute game-wrecking ability.

The Colts have already missed him, but now in his retirement, they'll get to fully celebrate Leonard's greatness once again.

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Category: Football