Tomlinson was NFL MVP in 2006 when he rushed for 1,815 yards and set the NFL single-season record with 31 touchdowns. His 13,684 rushing yards ranks fifth on the all-time list.

Roddick announced his retirement on his 30th birthday at the U.S. Open. Roddick's best year was 2003 when he won the U.S. Open and reached No. 1 in the world rankings.

Lidstrom won four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenseman and an Olympic gold medal. He succeeded Steve Yzerman as Red Wings captain in 2006.

Pudge was a 13-time Gold Glove winner and the American League MVP in 1999. He won a World Series with the Marlins in 2003.

The receiver was the MVP of Super Bowl XL, catching five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' 21-10 win against Seattle. Ward finished with exactly 1,000 regular-season receptions.

Summitt coached the Tennessee Lady Vols to eight NCAA championships, including a three-peat in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Summitt, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, revealed in 2011 that she had early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Johnson won the Olympic gold medal on the balance beam in 2008. She attempted a comeback for the 2012 Olympics but was forced to retire because of knee trouble.

After a medal haul of 18 golds, two silver and two bronzes, Michael Phelps says he's done with competitive swimming forever. Even if he isn't, it's safe to consider him retired until 2016.

Calhoun coached for 26 years at UConn and took four teams to the Final Four, winning the NCAA title in 1999, 2004 and 2011. He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Eagles retired Dawkins' No. 20 in September. Selected to nine Pro Bowls in 16 seasons, the safety had the rare combination of 20 interceptions and 20 sacks in his career.

Jones was the National League MVP in 1999 when he hit .319 with 45 home runs, 110 RBI and a career-high 25 steals. In 19 MLB seasons, he hit .303 and had an OBP of .401. He won the 2008 N.L. batting crown at .364.

Clijsters won four Grand Slams with the U.S. Open in 2005, 2009 and 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011. She retired in 2007 after the birth of her daughter but made a comeback in 2009.

The defensive wizard from Venezuela played more MLB games at shortstop than anyone else. He earned 11 Gold Gloves, including nine in a row at one point, in 24 seasons while also registering 2,877 hits.

The defensive end/linebacker spent most of his 13-year career with the Dolphins, including in 2006 when he was named the NFL's defensive player of the year. He was selected first team All-Pro three times.

Willis was National League rookie of the year in 2003 when the Marlins won the World Series. He went 22-10 in 2005 and finished second to Chris Carpenter for the N.L. Cy Young. But he never had a winning season after that.

Ordonez was a six-time All-Star with his best season coming for the Tigers in 2007 when he hit .363 with 28 home runs and 139 RBI.

As a rookie with the Cubs in 1998, Wood tied the MLB record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 20 against the Astros. He was an All-Star for the first of two times in 2003 when he had a career-high 266 strikeouts.

The left tackle spent his entire 11-year career with the Patriots and started in five Super Bowls. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 with Texas. He led the NFL in rushing once, with 1,853 yards for the Dolphins in 2002 when he made the Pro Bowl for the only time.

The Red Sox catcher was a key part of two World Series championship teams (2004 and 2007). He was a three-time All-Star and won a Gold Glove in 2005.

The knuckeballer spent 19 seasons in the majors, going 200-180. Seventeen of those were with the Red Sox, a length of service that ranks fourth in franchise history behind just Carl Yastrzemski (23), Ted Williams (19) and Dwight Evans (19).

In the first decade of this century, Holt had more receptions and more receiving yards than anyone in the NFL. He scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl XXXIV on a 9-yard reception from Kurt Warner.

The Chargers guard made four consecutive Pro Bowls starting in 2007. He suffered a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet collision in 2011 and decided to retire before the 2012 season.

The receiver spent 15 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Titans and Ravens. He had eight seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving, and retired as the Ravens' all-time leader in receptions with 471.

Mosley went 46-8-1 with 39 KOs in 19 years in the ring. He held five world titles in three weight divisions. His most notable victory was probably a decision over Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 to win the WBC welterweight title.

Comrie played for six NHL teams and was twice a 30-goal scorer, but is perhaps best known for being Hilary Duff's husband.

Sheets was a four-time All-Star for the Brewers, but he pitched just two seasons after 2008 (one with Oakland, one with Atlanta) because of injuries. He helped the U.S. win a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.

The rugged power forward was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1990 NHL draft. He played for six teams, but is perhaps best known for his days with the Sharks, including his called shot in the 1997 All-Star Game.

Portis rushed for 1,508 yards in his first NFL season with Denver. He had 1,591 the next year before being traded to the Redskins for Champ Bailey. Portis finished with 9,923 yards for his career and a 4.4 per-carry average.

Slash hadn't played since 2005 but only got around to filing his official retirement papers this year. His best NFL season was 2001 when he threw for more than 3,000 yards, made the Pro Bowl and helped the Steelers reach the AFC title game.

Laperrière hadn't played since 2010 when he blocked a slap shot with his face in a playoff game against the Devils. Known for his fearless and feisty style, Laperrière sat out the next two seasons with postconcussion syndrome but won the Masterton Trophy in 2011 for dedication to hockey.

Barber played six seasons with the Cowboys and one with the Bears. His best year was 2007 when he made the Pro Bowl after rushing for 975 yards.

Najera was the first Mexican-born player drafted in the NBA when the Rockets took him in the second round. He played 12 seasons and is now coaching the Texas Legends in the D-League.

Mostly a back-up big man, Scalabrine played 11 seasons with the Nets, Celtics and Bulls. He turned down a chance to join the Bulls coaching staff to pursue a broadcasting opportunity with the Celtics.

Dooling, a 6-3 guard, played 12 years in the NBA with six teams. His best season was with the Nets in 2008-09 when he posted career highs of 9.7 points and 3.5 assists.

McCabe was an offensive-minded defenseman who scored 15 or more goals five times in his NHL career. He also played for Canada at the 2006 Olympics.

Not to be confused with Tony Parker of the Spurs, this 6-6 swingman was a big star in Israel in addition to playing nine seasons in the NBA. Playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Parker was twice the Euroleague MVP.