Report: NFL veteran Marcus Jones retires from MMA

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end turned mixed martial artist, Marcus Jones, has retired from the sport, according to AroundTheOctagon, citing a source withing the Gracie Tampa camp.

Jones was among 16 heavyweights featured in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 series on Spike TV. The 6'6," 245-pound "Big Baby" was considered a dark horse to make it to the finals, boasting a decent record (4-1) heading into the series.

In fact, Rashad Evans -- the opposing coach on the other side -- waited as long as possible to match up Jones against one of his fighters. And it was probably for good reason -- Jones submitted Mike Wessel then obliterated Darrill Schoonover to reach the semifinals.

He was the only fighter on Team Rampage to advance beyond the preliminary rounds; however, his run ended in the semifinals when Brendan Schaub turned his lights off to earn a spot opposite Roy Nelson in the tournament finals.

After the loss, an emotional Jones hinted at retirement, saying that he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep putting his family through the torment that often follows most professional fighters. In addition, his 36-year-old body showed signs of slowing down with several injuries on the show, including an injured knee that almost forced him off the program.

Nonetheless, Jones accepted an invitation to compete at TUF 10 Finale earlier this month against fellow castmate Matt Mitrione. And he appeared to be on his to scoring his first win inside the Octagon before Mitrione clipped Jones with a thundering right hand that hand that once again put him to sleep.

Perhaps seven years in the NFL, as well as two consecutive knockout losses, convinced Jones that it was time to take it easy and pursue a contact-less career to preserve his health now and in the future.

Best of luck in your future endeavors, "Big Baby," whatever they may be.