Former Patiorts Super Bowl hero Malcolm Mitchell announces retirement

March 24 (UPI) -- Former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell announced his retirement Sunday, at the age of 25.

Mitchell announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday during a TED Talk at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, The Boston Globe reported.

Mitchell was never a household name in the NFL, but he did come through for the Patriots on the biggest stage in the game, helping New England rally in the second half of Super Bowl 51.

With the Patriots down by 25 points at one point in the title game, Mitchell came on in the fourth quarter as New England put on a historic rally, catching five passes in the final quarter for 63 yards.

In total in the eventual New England 31-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons, Mitchell caught six passes for 70 yards.

"Everything will work out," the 25-year-old wrote on Instagram. "The world has a knack for correcting itself."

Mitchell never panned out after the memorable Super Bowl performance for the Patriots, as he spent the following season on injured reserve with knee issues, and was let go by New England after a procedure on his knee the following August.

The receiver was a fourth round draft pick by the Patriots in 2016, and played well in his first season, catching 32 passes for 401 yards and four scores.

The biggest game of his career aside from the Super Bowl came late in the 2016 season on Dec. 4, when he caught eight passes for 82 yards against the Los Angeles Rams.

Now that his NFL playing days are behind him, Mitchell's will focus on his "Share the Magic" foundation and continue working as a children's book author after having already published a book titled The Magician's Hat.