James Develin graduated from Boyertown High School and wound up winning three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

Now he’s retiring at the age of 31 due to injury complications:

 

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THANK YOU.

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Jimmy D is a fantastic success story. He was a two-way high school player (as most guys are), then went to Brown University to play defensive end. He went undrafted, then signed with the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the AFL before having a short stint with the Florida Tuskers of the UFL, coached at the time by Jay Gruden.

After switching positions to fullback, he made it to the Bengals’ practice squad, then to the Patriots’ practice squad and later the active roster.

He won three Super Bowls during his time in New England, then suffered a neck injury last September that required surgery. He was a bit of a cult hero up there because of his old-fashioned playing style and hard-nosed blocking and running.

It’s a classic American underdog story. Jimmy was a long shot to play in the NFL but wound up having a wildly successful career.

Best NFL highlight here: