Veteran San Diego Chargers center Nick Hardwick announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.

Hardwick was the Chargers’ starting center for 146 games (10 in the playoffs) during his career and was a Pro Bowl center in 2006.

“I am so proud to retire from the NFL having spent my entire career with the San Diego Chargers,” Hardwick said. “I want to thank Dean Spanos and the entire Spanos family for bringing me to San Diego, and I especially want to thank all of my teammates, the coaches and staff members who allowed me to spend 11 memorable seasons with the greatest organization in professional football.

“I wish I could play forever, but this game has a finite life and it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life.”

The Chargers drafted Hardwick in the third round in 2004 out of Purdue, where he walked on to the football team after wrestling in high school and college. After arriving in San Diego, he quickly moved into the starting lineup as a rookie.

In 2009, Hardwick suffered a severe ankle injury during the opener at Oakland but returned after missing 13 games that season, starting a streak of 70 consecutive starts that ended at the start of the 2014 season.