It was tough for Kevin Faulk (pictured right) to leave football. Any hopes he had of staying, though, faded when the New England Patriots’ running game made major strides. The team’s career leader in all-purpose yards made it official on Tuesday after two injury-plagued seasons. He formally announced his retirement after 13 memorable years in a ceremony at the team’s Hall of Fame attended by owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and several teammates. “I never thought I’d be saying I’m retiring from football,” Faulk said, “and I never thought I’d have three of these.” That’s when he took out the Super Bowl championship rings he won with the only team he played for since the Patriots drafted him in 1999 in the second round out of LSU. – AP