Toronto Rock defender Rob Marshall retires from the NLL

Rob Marshall, a veteran defender for the Toronto Rock, has announced his retirement from the National Lacrosse League.

Toronto lost its longest-tenured athlete on Wednesday. As reported by Inside Lacrosse, Toronto Rock defender Rob Marshall announced his retirement from the National Lacrosse League after 12 seasons.

Marshall was signed as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2006 by the Toronto Rock. He played seven games in his rookie season, totaling six penalty minutes and 30 loose balls.

His breakout year came in 2008, where he scored a career-high 24 points and had 109 loose balls in 16 games. The following season, Marshall finished with one less point than the year before, but set career highs in goals (8) and loose balls (116).

Marshall was a member of several top Rock teams. His first chance to play for a championship came in 2010 when the Toronto Rock took on the Washington Stealth. The team came up just short, but got their rematch with Washington a year later in front of their home crowd.

The Rock exacted their revenge, winning their record-tying sixth championship by a 8-7 score.

In a previous interview I did with Marshall, he mentioned how memorable that Championship game was for him:

"“To win the NLL championship in Toronto is pretty amazing”, he said. “To do it in front of family and friends, in front of 15,000 people screaming and shouting on the turf, confetti dropping from the ceiling. It gives me chills just thinking about it and it’s something I will never forget.”"

The veteran defender would go to one more Champions Cup Final in 2015 with the Rock. They lost in the final to the Edmonton Rush.

In 2017, Marshall suffered an injury during the opening days of training camp. He would appear in one game for the Toronto Rock, but sit out the majority of the year.

In the article posted by Inside Lacrosse about Marshall, team owner, president and general manager Jamie Dawick spoke about his career:

"“Rob’s career really is a great story,” said Jamie Dawick. “He was a guy that came out of nowhere and ended up playing twelve years for his hometown team. He was a great player, a great teammate and a great representative of the Toronto Rock.”"

Marshall finishes his career with 159 career games played, 86 points and 759 loose balls. He also won three Mann Cups as a member of the Six Nations Chiefs.

After Dustin McGowan left the Toronto Blue Jays, Marshall became the longest tenured athlete in the city of Toronto. He has held that mantle since 2014, until Wednesday.

Next: Rock take 5 defenders at 2017 draft

What has Marshall meant to the Toronto Rock during his career? On a more personal level, what are you highlights of his time in the NLL? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.