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Veteran tight end Rhett Ellison grew up around football, and now he’s walking away.

The Giants announced that the 31-year-old Ellison was retiring after eight seasons.

He spent the last three years with the Giants, after playing five seasons for the Vikings. He missed the last six games of last season after suffering a concussion.

“The past few weeks, it’s kind of been an emotional rollercoaster,” Ellison said, via the team’s official website. “But the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude. Just thinking back to all the people in my life, even before I put pads on, that were able to nurture and grow the gifts God put into me and make this career possible. I think that was the biggest thing that was the fun part about the retirement process, which is reflecting on those people, thanking those people, reaching out and just the lessons they taught me, the tools they gave me for my life after football.”

His father Riki was a standout linebacker with the Raiders and 49ers in the 1980s and early 90s, playing 10 years in the league and winning three Super Bowl rings.