Donald Driver officially retires

By Kelsie Hoitomt

GREEN BAY – Donald Driver, one of the Packers’ best wide receivers to ever wear the green and gold jersey, officially announced his retirement as of last Thursday morning on the Mike and Mike In The Morning program.

Driver spent 14 years with the Packers after being drafted as a seventh round pick in 1999. No one may have guessed that after his first three years with only 37 receptions for 520 yards, Driver would become the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions over the next 11 years.

Despite Driver seeing less playing time this past season with four of his final seven games being listed as inactive, he still managed eight receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns in the 2012-13 season.

Currently, Driver holds the franchise record for most receptions with 743, most receiving yards with 10,137, most 1,000 yard seasons with seven (a record six of them were consecutive from 2004-2009), most 50 catch seasons with nine (also a consecutive record from 2002-2010), most consecutive games with a reception with 133, most receptions at Lambeau Field with 363 and most receiving yards at Lambeau Field with 5,000.

Driver shared on the radio show that the decision to retire was easier made after his wife, Betina, told him that she didn’t want to go anywhere else. Driver can now look forward to being a family man, as a husband and a father to his three children.

“Someone’s always going to be able to tell my kids that their dad was a great football player, but no one is going to be able to tell my kids that their dad was a great dad and great husband so I have to be able to show them that,” said Driver on Mike and Mike In The Morning.

Driver opened up his retirement to the public and his fans with an event that took place Wednesday, February 6 at the Lambeau Field Atrium.