Former Florida Gators OL Marcus Gilbert retires from NFL
By Jeremy Klump
After former Florida Gators tight end Jordan Reed announced his retirement last week, another former Gators has decided to step away from the NFL. Former Gators offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert announced that he is retiring from the NFL on Monday, April 26, 2021.
Gilbert did it all for the Gators, playing guard and tackle during his time in Gainesville. Gilbert was great for Florida, and his dominant play as a Gator got him drafted in the 2nd round, pick 63, of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gilbert is a big dude, standing at 6-6 and weighing 330 pounds. That size allowed him to have a very successful NFL career.
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Gilbert started 87 games for the Steelers from 2011-2018. He started for the Steelers at RT in those games, and he could always be counted on to do his job. I can almost guarantee that when Ben Roethlisberger does his Hall of Fame speech, Gilbert will get a shoutout for always keeping him off the ground.
The former Gator never made a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro team, but to be a starter in the NFL for all those years speaks volumes to the type of player he was. It was never about being flashy or being in the news; it was always about protecting his quarterback and opening lanes for his running back.
Gilbert was traded to the Arizona Cardinals before the 2019 season, but a torn ACL ended his season before it began. He also sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19, so Gilbert never played a snap for the Cardinals. It was obviously not how Gilbert expected his time in Arizona to go, but everything happens for a reason.
Gilbert leaves the NFL with respect from fans all over the NFL, and especially Pittsburgh. Gilbert was a guy that always did his job and did it well, so we wish him well in retirement and whatever is next!
Go Gators!