Indianapolis Colts OL Joe Reitz announces retirement

March 8 (UPI) -- Offensive lineman Joe Reitz announced his retirement from the NFL after six seasons on Tuesday.

Reitz, 31, spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan. He is a native of nearby Fishers, Indiana.

"I'm privileged to have had the opportunity to coach Joe for five seasons here in Indianapolis," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said in a statement. "He stood out as a selfless player who was respected by his teammates in addition to being a tremendous family man."

Reitz started 44 of the 73 career games he played, spending time at left guard, right guard, left tackle and right tackle.

Last season, Reitz appeared in 13 games (six starts) as the Colts' offense tied for fifth in the NFL in passing yards per game (262.6), seventh in points scored (397) and 10th in yards per game (364.4).

In 2015, Reitz was the Colts' recipient of the NFL's Ed Block Courage Award honoring role models of inspiration, sportsmanship and courage for his work in the Indianapolis community.

"As a native of the Indianapolis area, Joe made an impact on the community he grew up in," Pagano said. "He demonstrated how one should conduct himself on and off the field and all Hoosiers and Colts fans alike should be proud of the way he represented himself. We are thankful for Joe's contributions to this organization and wish him the best moving forward."

Before joining the Colts, Reitz signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 and spent time with the Miami Dolphins in 2010. He did not play a regular season game with either team.