Kyle Williams retired Sunday after 13 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, a run in which he reached five Pro Bowls and ranked fifth all-time in franchise tackles and sacks. He’d been the heart and soul of a Buffalo team that had known far more downs than ups in his tenure, and he got the sendoff he deserved:

Wait, no, not that one. The big dog on defense got to run a play on offense, and caught a nine-yard pass to close off a 42-17 rout of Miami. That marked Williams’ first NFL reception; he had one carry for a one-yard touchdown last season.

Then, to close off the game, the Bills called a timeout to allow Williams to walk off the field one last time to the cheers of the crowd. Great way to go out for a longtime veteran in a league that rarely lets you choose your mode of exit.

“I’ve been working on that every day for 13 years and my number was finally called,” Williams said after the game of his nine-yard route. “I’m glad that guy showed up and tackled me. Forty yards had never looked so far.”

Williams was drafted out of LSU by Buffalo, and he’s said that he wants to go watch his five children grow up. “I’ll be a Buffalo Bill forever,” he said, “and I’ll always be proud of that.”

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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