TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Jensen, a small-town Colorado kid who grew to 6-foot-4, 320 pounds and made good, announced his retirement from his 11-year NFL career highlighted by snapping the ball to legendary quarterback Tom Brady during Tampa Bay's Super Bowl-winning season of 2020.
Jensen, 32, missed the past two seasons because of a knee injury.
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On his Instagram page, Jensen finished his retirement statement with, "Thank you to the Ravens and Buccaneers for taking a chance on a small-town Colorado kid."
Born May 27, 1991 in the western Colorado town of Rangely (population 2,299), Jensen played his high school ball about a six-hour drive east in Fort Morgan (population 11,600). He played his college ball at CSU-Pueblo before he was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
He initially struggled with the Ravens until he was diagnosed with sleep apnea.
In an interview with 9NEWS the week prior to Super Bowl LV (55) in January 2021, Jensen said he has slept with a CPAP machine, which forces air into his mouth and keeps his airways open as he sleeps.
"It really made a tremendous difference and really saved my career and potentially saved my life," Jensen said then.
Jensen came on in his fourth playing season with the Ravens, starting all 16 games in 2017, then signing a four-year, $42 million contract as a free agent with Tampa Bay. Playing for Brady, who had just come over as a free agent following 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, and winning the Super Bowl in 2020 was the highlight of Jensen's career.
About to become a free agent in 2022, Jensen instead signed a three-year extension with Tampa Bay. But he never played again for the Bucs as he tore up his knee during training camp that year and aggravated the injury again during training camp this past season.
Jensen, his wife Stephanie, son Wyatt and daughter Eliza make their home in Evergreen.
"Colorado's home,'' Jensen said.
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