Cory Fleming, one of the top players in Arena Football League history, has announced his retirement.

In a 10-year career, Fleming caught 846 passes for 10,217 yards and 235 touchdowns. He had 18 interceptions from his "jack" linebacker position.

Only four players in AFL history have surpassed 10,000 receiving yards.

When the AFL released its 20 Greatest Players earlier this year, Fleming was No. 14.

Fleming, who was a star quarterback in high school at Nashville, made his reputation at the University of Tennessee (1990-93) as a big-play receiver who could run with the ball after the catch. He was a captain on the '93 team.

His pro career looked promising after being selected in the third round of the NFL draft in 1994 by the San Francisco 49ers.

Fleming held out during training camp and was released three months later. He eventually was signed by the Cowboys and -spent two years in Dallas, including a tumultuous final season in which he was arrested twice (theft by check and driving while intoxicated) and later suspended in the offseason in 1996 for one year by the NFL for a substance-abuse violation.

Fleming had a brief return to the NFL with the Raiders in 2000.

A member of the original Nashville Kats franchise from 1997-2001, Fleming returned to Nashville this year after spending the previous four seasons playing in Carolina and Orlando.

Fleming was released a day before the Kats' final regular-sea-son game May 12.

He was third on team in catches (51), receiving yards (595) and receiving touchdowns (7). He missed two games in early March after being placed on injured reserve.

"It was a situation that wasn't working out," Kats general manager Bob Flynn told The Tennessean at the time of Fleming's release. "We gave him his release so he would have a chance to be picked up by another team for the playoffs."

Fleming was signed on May 15 by Orlando. In two playoff games, Fleming made five catches for 59 yards and a TD. Orlando lost to Chicago in ArenaBowl XX but Fleming did not play due to an injured foot.

Fleming was named the AFL Rookie of the Year in 1997, after amassing 1,104 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns. He was selected as a first-team All-Arena wide receiver/linebacker in 1998 and was a member of the Kats' ArenaBowl teams in 2000 and 2001.