Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster announced his retirement on Monday.
"When the time comes, you just know and now is the time for me to take a bow," Foster, 34, said in a statement. "I've made some friends for a lifetime, had some moments that I'll never forget, and seen some things I never thought I would because of this game. First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife and sons. I also want to thank the Steelers organization -- Coach [Mike] Tomlin, Mr. Art Rooney II, the late Ambassador [Dan] Rooney, and Kevin Colbert for making Pittsburgh feel like a family. There are so many more people I need to thank, including everyone on staff with the Steelers. I would also like to thank my teammates who made this journey something very special to me and my family -- you guys were amazing.
"Last but definitely not least, thank you to the best fans in all of sports. I'm glad to say I was a Steeler for life, and there is no other organization I would have rather played for in my career."
Foster has been a dependable starter on the line -- primarily at left guard -- for the past decade for the Steelers.
He first joined Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and became a full-time starter by his third year. Overall, he has started 145 out of 160 games in which he played, including 119 of the past 120.
Foster was also instrumental as a team leader and NFL Players Association representative.
ESPN's Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.