Even though he had written his remarks down in order to make the whole procedure easier, it did not take long for the emotions to take over. It was a sign of things to come: the David Andrews retirement press conference at Gillette Stadium’s GP Atrium on Monday afternoon was raw, real and a fitting way to end what had been a remarkable 10-year career in the NFL.
“I wouldn’t change one thing about my 26 years playing this game,” Andrews said during his opening statement, “but it’s time to say goodbye. As it says in Second Timothy, Chapter 4, Verse 7: I fought the good fight, I finished the race, and I’ve kept the faith.”
The [full 40-minute press conference](https://www.patspulpit.com/2025/6/2/24441808/patriots-david-andrews-retirement-press-conference) is worth rewatching as a celebration of Andrews and his journey from undrafted free agent to [New England Patriots](https://www.patspulpit.com/) franchise legend. As a tl:dr version, though, here are our takeaways from the event.
Decision, explained
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Andrews stepping away from the game less than two months before his 33rd birthday was preceded by the Patriots releasing him. The organization, which had undergone significant change off the field over the last two seasons, decided to turn the page at center after the longtime starter had suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last September.
His injury played a part in that decision — he was cut with a failed physical designation — as well in his own to call it a career.
“I wasn’t healthy,” Andrews explained. “And once I got away from the game, obviously I still wanted to play the game. But I didn’t want to do it for another organization. That wasn’t really what I had in mind to finish my career. I wanted to finish it here, and I did.”
Between joining the team as a free agent after the 2015 draft and his Week 4 injury last fall, Andrews started a combined 131 regular season and playoff games for the organization. He helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls.
All about relationships
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The overarching theme of Andrews’ farewell presser was less his accomplishments on the field, but rather the relationships he cultivated throughout his journey in football. He did not waste any time to point that out either, spending the first 10 minutes of his remarks — his entire opening statement, in fact — to recognize those who have supported him and allowed him to have a standout career.
The list of people mentioned was vast. It included coaches from the start of his career to its end — among those mentioned by name was ex-Patriots head coach Bill Belichick — as well as teammates, various support staffers in New England, and obviously his family: his wife Mackenzie and their sons Ford and Worth.
Building relationships was a big part of Andrews’ time as a Patriot, and something that set the tone on Monday as well.
“The Super Bowls they will remain the same forever,” he said, “but the relationships will mean more to you at the end of the day than the rings and trophies and all of that.”
The list of attendees was concrete proof of that, with active and retired Patriots — including Dante Scarnecchia and James Develin — both making the trip to the Gillette Stadium atrium. In addition, a 10-minute video was shown of several former teammates congratulating Andrews on his career.
“The games are awesome. They’re great. There’s nothing like competing and physically putting your hands on another person and all that part of the game. But I think you’ll miss the relationships,” Andrews said.
“There’s nothing like the locker room. You can’t recreate it. When a group of guys come together and think less about themselves and more about a bigger goal or team, that’s something very special and you really don’t find it in the world a lot of times. So, I think the relationships will be the hardest part. That’s what makes it so emotional, that side of it.”
Lessons in leadership
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During his career with the Patriots, Andrews was not just a leader on the field but in the locker room as well. He was voted a captain in eight of his 10 seasons with the club, only missing out on the honor as a rookie and when sitting the entire 2019 season out due to blood clots.
“Leadership is such an interesting thing,” he said on Monday. “I think the biggest thing is just to be genuine. Be who you are as a leader, because if you’re not people see through that and it’s fake. So, you just have to be true to yourself. But part of being a leader is having a relationship with guys. If you don’t have a relationship with anyone you can’t really lead them. That’s a big part of leadership.”
Andrews also mentioned multiple former teammates including the likes of Matthew Slater, Tom Brady, Nate Solder, Devin McCourty and Julian Edelman as having an impact on his development as a leader.
“I watched a lot of guys when I came into the league,” he said. “I watched how they did things, how they carried themselves, and tried to learn and soak up what I could. They had such a huge impact on my career and life; I’m so fortunate to come into an organization like this with a locker room like that.”
New England is home
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Over the first 16 years of his career, Andrews stayed close to home. He was born in Georgia, and he played football in Georgia — first at Wesleyan School in the Atlanta suburb of Peachtree Corners, later at the University of Georgia in Athens.
Coming to New England naturally was a transformation for him and his wife, but one the couple eventually learned to appreciate.
“We grew to love it,” Andrews said. “We grew to love Boston. We just grew to love going to all the little restaurants, the little towns, breweries, whatever it may be. It became our home. It is our home now. We have both our boys here. It is home. We go back to Georgia, we go to our farm, but this is home now.”
During his time as a Patriot, Andrews also grew to love getting involved in the community. An active participant in charitable events, he was named the 2020 recipient of the Ron Burton Community Service Award.
Eye on the future
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With his football career officially over, Andrews is on to the next chapter. What it will look like remains to be seen, even though one career path can be ruled out, at least temporarily.
“I don’t think coaching is something I’m ready to jump into now. It’s been a long, big part of my life, and I’d like to see what else is out there before I get into that,” Andrews said.
“I’ve got these two young boys and being around them, carpooling them around and doing whatever needs to be done, is kind of my main focus now. Spending time with them and my wife, and doing things that I probably didn’t allow us to do during football.”
‘Heart and soul of the locker room’
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Before Andrews took the podium, the Patriots made sure to honor him accordingly. Besides the aforementioned video message from his ex-teammates, they also showed a montage of some of the best moments and soundbites of his career.
Afterwards, team owner Robert Kraft read some prepared remarks about the new retiree. And like the video messages from his former teammates, Kraft’s words illustrated just how popular of a guy Andrews was, and how far-reaching his impact.
“David anchored our line, and was the heart and soul of our locker room,” Kraft said.
“He’s a person of great character, passion and spirituality. David, you’ve given us 10 remarkable years. You’ve helped defined what it means to truly be a Patriot. And while today marks the end of your playing career, your legacy here will endure for the fans who cheered you on, and for all of us who were lucky enough to witness your journey.”