Ben Shelton and several NFL figures congratulated former Super Bowl champion Stephen Gilmore on his retirement announcement after an illustrious 13-year career. Gilmore announced his decision on social media, as the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year called his career “incredible” and is excited to turn a page in his life.
Gilmore won his only Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, and his resume also includes five Pro Bowl selections and two First-team All-Pro. He has played for multiple teams, including the Buffalo Bills, Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings.
Shelton took to Instagram, resharing a story celebrating Gilmore’s career as the American tennis star added:
“Legendary career.”
Tennis star Alycia Parks wrote:
“🥺👏🏾👏🏾”
The NFL community also came together to pay tributes. Former tight end Benjamin Watson wrote an heartfelt message:
“You made Rock Hill proud. Congratulations lil bro. I’m honored to have shared the locker room and field with you even for a season… The best is yet to come. May the Lord guide you and your family as you navigate this transition.”
The Patriots, where Gilmore reached the peak of his career, also paid tribute:
“Congratulations Gilly Lock.”
Former teammates and players around the league chimed in as well. Former NFL cornerback Jason McCourty wrote:
“It was an honor bro! HOF! Congrats”
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez added “GOAT” emojis.
Andy Roddick Reveals Why Ben Shelton Can Find It Tough On Clay
The clay season in tennis begins with the Charleston Open and all the way to Roland Garros. Ben Shelton is hoping to win some titles and with his big serve, he should have an edge over most opponents, said former US Open champion Andy Roddick.
“I mean, that serve translates anywhere,” Roddick said on Served Podcast. “When you could serve 140 and then kick it over someone’s head both ways. That tends to work.”
However, the question is whether Shelton’s weak backhand could neutralize his serve.
“I think the entire thing is like, can Ben beat me today with his backhand? Which is tough because there’s only so many people that can neutralise the serve,” Roddick added.
Roddick shared that on clay, the surface is slower, giving people enough time to react and adjust which essentially plays against Shelton.
“On clay, people have more time to find space over there, right? Whereas, like, if his serve comes even quicker, you don’t have time to take a full swing and redirect,” Roddick said. “So, I think clay is just gonna be the toughest surface for him.”
It remains to be seen how Shelton fares in clay season this summer.
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