He got emotional at times, in part because it's difficult to walk away from the game he loves so much. But the appreciation for the fan support was tied up in those emotions, too, and Kuhn will never forget it.

"When you don't touch the ball a lot, you have a hard time telling (if the fans like you)," he said. "By the time they started getting as loud as they got, it told me right there I had a lot of fans out there and a lot of people that cared about the team and supported me.

"It drove me … to even work harder than I did in the first place. It was special to me and something I'll always cherish."

Kuhn leaves the game with the distinction of having played with four quarterbacks who are or will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Rodgers was and remains a friend, and Rodgers frequently has referred to Kuhn as one of his all-time favorite teammates, as well as the only player who might have known the offense as thoroughly as he did.