SEATTLE (AP) — Democratic Rep. Norm Dicks, a former college football player who cast a huge presence over state and national politics for more than 30 years, announced Friday he’ll retire at the end of the year after 18 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dicks, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said he and his wife have decided to “change gears and enjoy life at a different pace.”